168 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



[Vol. VI. 



the septum, the cusps hanging down. Others were contracted enough to 

 permit of being worn ring fashion with the cusps grasping the septum as 

 those of the ancient Peruvians.* I have seen Babine women wearing 

 through the septum a silver crescent of identical size with that figured 

 above. 



Fig. 158. Fig. 159. 



The circular nose-pendant (fig. 1 59) was placed in position by pressing 

 the fore part of the septum through the cusps formed by the deep 

 indentations carved out in the shell until the septum hole was reached. 

 The proximity of the points or cusps then prevented its falling off. 



As for the third variety of nose ornaments, it consisted in a silver ring 

 which was more than once of ridiculously generous proportions. Indeed, 

 if I am to credit my informants, this was, among the Babines, of such a 

 size that one could easily eat through it. I have never seen any. 



All the above nose ornaments were used indifferently by men or by 

 women. A fourth, which it was the privilege of the women of rank to 

 wear was the ni-Y^d-dirv a, or "passed through the septum." Fig. 160 will 



;;;p^MS(i|j|,- 



Fig. 160. 



explain its form, without doing justice to the material of which it was 

 composed. Two pairs of dentalium shells, the small end of the one 



*See "A Study of the Textile Art," by W. H. Holmes, vi. Ann. Rep. Bur. Ethnol., 

 Washington, 1888, p. 237, fig. 343. 



