THEOWING-STICKS. 285 



the same mauner. These skin-dressers are from the area just south of 

 Kotzebue Sound. The back of the Rodgers specimeu is ornamented iu 

 its lower half by means of grooves. Iu its upper half are represented 

 the legs and feet of some animal carved outiu a graceful manner. The 

 index-finger cavity is central and is seen on the upper side by a very 

 slight rectangular perforation, which, however, does not admit the extru- 

 sion of any part of the index-finger. The upper surfiice is formed by 

 two incliued planes meeting iu the center. Along this central ridge is 

 excavated the groove for the spear-shaft, deep at its lower end aud 

 quite running out at its upper extreuiity. The hook for the end of the 

 harpoon-shaft iu this specimeu resembles that seen on the tbrowiug- 

 sticks of the region south of Cape Vancouver. The whole execution of 

 this specimeu is so much superior to that of any other in the Museum 

 aud the material so different as to create the suspicion that it was made 

 by a white man, with steel tools (Fig 8). 



EASTERN SIBERIAN TYPE. 



The National Museum has no throwing-^tick from this region, but 

 Nordenskjijld figures one in the Voyage of Vega (p. 477, Fig. o), which 

 is as simple as the one from Anderson Eiver, excepting that the former 

 has a hook of ivory, while the latter has a mere excavation to receive 

 the cavity on the end of the weapon. Xord en skj old's bird-spear accom- 

 panying the stick has a bulb or enlargement of the shaft at the point 

 opposite the handle of the throwing-stick, which is new to the collection 

 of the National IMuseum. Indeed, a systematic study should now be 

 made of the Siberian throwing-sticks to decide concerning the commer- 

 cial relationships if not the consanguinities of the people of that region. 



POET CLARENCE AND CAPE NOME TYPE. 



The specimens from this area are more or less spatulato iu form, but 

 very irregular, with -the handle varying from that of the razor-strop to 

 the spiral, twisted form of the Eskimo skin-scraper (Fig. 9). On the 

 whole, these implements are quite similar to the next group. A section 

 across the middle of the implement would be trapezoidal with incurved 

 sides. In two of the specimens not figured these curved sides are 

 brought upward until they join the upper surface, making a graceful 

 ornament. The handles are not symmetrical, the sides for the thumb 

 being shaved out so as to fit the muscles conveniently. Places for the 

 fingers are provided thus : There is an index-finger cavity quite through 

 the slick indeed, but the index-finger catches in the interior of the wood 

 and does not pass through as in the eastern Arctic types. The middle 

 finger rests against an ivory or wooden peg. This is the first appear- 

 ance of this feature. It will be noted after this on all the throwing- 

 sticks as the most prominent feature until we come to Kadiak, but 

 the Unalashkans do not use it on their throwing-sticks. Cavities for 

 the .three last finger-tips are not always present, and the hooks at the 



