SLTNO CONTRIVANCKS h'OW PROJECTILE WEAPONS. 631 



Greater Antilles and Lucayas, in Central America (in the east and 

 south) in Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and in the Amazon Ilivei- dis- 

 trict, east. Peru, and north Brazil. It is still in use in Michoacan, 

 on Lake Patzeuaro. and in P>razil among the tribes of the ui)per 

 Xingu and Araguaya. There are three types — one androgynous 

 and two male. The androgynous form is the old Mexican atlatl. 

 The shaft is thin and not very strong. For a grip it is hollowed 

 out on the edges, and a leather thong forms a loop on either side for 

 the second and third fingers, or a piece of shell is attached to the 

 back; or a piece cut from shell" is placed on each side of the handle; 

 or braided cords'- take the place of the thong; or, in rude types, a 

 crosspiece only is attached, Avhich projects to right and left;. 

 Finally, there is a groove in the center, or often one at both sides of 

 the shaft. San Marcos, Fla.,^ Santa Barbara, Cal.'^ The grip is 

 like one from Greenhmd (see pi. iii, fig. 33). On the front a 

 furrow diminishes toAvard the outer end, where a peg protrudes. 

 In the class made of rings of shell a piece of hide is attached,'' by 

 the aid of which the third and fourth fingers press against the Ijoard 

 from beneath. The upper end was often decorated with feathers, 

 hair tufts, or narrow thongs. Sometimes a transparent quartz peb- 

 ble was attached (according to Starr, 5) as a luck stone (see pi. 

 jv, fig. 34). In use the second and third fingers hook into their 

 rings, the spear is laid into the groove, and the cavity at the end 

 rests against the peg. The first, fourth, and fifth fingers encircling 

 the shaft hold the spear securely upon the sling. This form was 

 still in use about the time of the discovery of America. In the 

 descriptions and illustrations of Spanish historians of the conquest 

 they are incorrectly drawn and explained.'^ It was used in war, but 

 oftener in the chase and in fishing.^ It appears in ancient calendars 

 and picture writings, especially associated with the sun god Tona- 

 tiuh or Xiuhpilli, the fire god Xiuhtecutli, and of Tezcatlipoca,'' as 

 seen in the works of Durian, Torquemada, Ranuisio, Oviedo, Ro- 

 bledo, etc. It occurs singly upon sculptures and on the plaster 

 casts in the Musee du Trocadero, from Olmec Uixtotin, on the 

 Isthmus of Tehuantepec* Examples are preserved from the cave 



a Doctor Seler: Intern. Arch. Ill, p. 137-148; Stolpo: Intern. Arch. Ill, p. 

 2.34-238. 



6 Doctor Seler : Intern. Arch. III. p. 144; the same: Globus, Gl, No. 7, p. !)7. 



c Mason: Intern. Arch. XI, p. 129, et seq. 



<JI)alton: Intern. Arch. X, p. 229, et seq. 



f Starr: Intern. Arch. XI, p. 233; Doctor Seler: Intern. Arch. III. p. 144. 



f Doctor Seler: (Mobus, 61, No. 7, p. 97 et seq.; Doctor ufile, Mitth. der 

 Wiener anthrop. UcscHschaft. XVII, 1880, pt. 2, pp. 107-144. 



Schuts : Urgeschichte dor Kultur. 



h Doctor Seler: Intern. Arch. Ill, p. 130. 



i Doctor Seler : Globus, 61, No. 7, p. 97 et seq. 



