STARR NOTCHED BONES FROM MEXICO. I05 



dead. In the light of this knowledge the bones may be reexamined. 

 Many if not most of them show plain signs of wear produced by some- 

 thing rubbed across the notched space. This wear is easily recognized 

 after attention is directed to it. In the Lumholtz collection there is 

 but one perfect humerus. Such a humerus is pictured in Plate vi. of 

 Hrdlicka's paper. Dr. Hrdlicka says of it, (p. 72) " No rubbing over 

 the markings apparent on tlie bone." Yet in the photo-reproduction 

 given rubbing \% plainly shown. Not all, but most, of the specimens 

 from the State of Mexico show this wear distinctly, and it is of just 

 such character as would be produced by the scraping of a bone 

 back and forth. Moreover it is possible to tell in which direction the 

 stronger down rub was made, as contrasted with the lighter return. 



In Mr. Lumholtz's specimens there is a hole in one end of the bones 

 (especially the femora) apparently for the purpose of removing the 

 marrow. Mr. Lumholtz lays considerable stress upon this point. \'i 

 the bones were to be used for rubbing time for dancers, would not 

 dryness be desirable and would not this be more quickly gained by re- 

 moval of the marrow? While this appears to us reasonable, it should be 

 mentioned that the series here studied does not have such holes in them. 



Two devices for rubbing time somewhat similar to the omichicahuaz 

 are known to as in use among modern Indian tribes in the United 

 States. Tonkaway women in certain dances use notched sticks across 

 which bones are rubbed to give time. One end of the stick is rested 

 against the ground, or better upon the bottom of a pan or other vessel : 

 the other end is held up by the left hand ; the bone, taken in the right 

 hand, is rubbed strongly down and more lightly back. The result is 

 much more musical and much less disagreeable than might be ex- 

 pected ; the rhythm is excellent and the aid to song and dance con- 

 siderable. I secured several of these sticks among the Tonkaways in 

 1893 ^iid one of them is represented in our plate, side by side with 

 some notched bones for comparison. Particular attention should be 

 paid to the wear resulting from the rubbing in both cases. Very sim- 

 ilar rubbing sticks — and some presenting points of difference — are used 

 among some of our Pueblo Indians. An excellent specimen from 

 VVolpi, the notched stick and the scapula used for scraping across it, is 

 illustrated in James Stevenson's Catalogue. These notched sticks of 

 the Tonkaways and Pueblos are the exact representative, still in use 

 among living tribes, of the ancient notched bone — the omichihuaz — of 

 the old Mexicans. 



