NO. 2235. HOPI INDIAN COLLECTION— HOUGH. 287 



the rather complicated inventions which characterize the traps of the 

 tribes who depend largely upon the chase are not developed here. 

 The name for trap is cka-kom-i, appearing in continuation as i<sA- 

 c/mko?ni, coj'ote trap ; peha-chako7ni, bird trap. 



WEAPONS. 



One of the most curious of American Indian weapons is the throw- 

 ing club, "boomerang," called putc kohu (pi. 44, fig. 4, Cat. No. 

 12G348 U.S.N.M.). It is made of oak, Querciis ganvhelll^ a very hard 

 tough wood, presenting great obstacles to working, especially with 

 the crude tools and appliances of the Hopi. The club is flat, about 

 one-half inch thick, and the curve is produced by working from wood 

 selected for its natural bend. At one end a hand-grip is cut and the 

 other end is usually apexed. The club is smoothly finished, often 

 polished, and is painted red with a customary — perhaps prescribed — 

 design in black, representing rabbit feet. The careful finish of the 

 club appears to be for the purpose of expediting its passage through 

 the air. It is held in position for throwing with the concave edge 

 front brought down with a sweep and released in a horizontal posi- 

 tion (pi. 53). It rotates in the air and on striking the ground or 

 an obstacle executes a series of evolutions, often for several yards 

 around the point of contact, touching the ground and erratically 

 flying up several times, but has no tendency to return to the thrower. 

 The Hopi use this club with considerable skill in hunting rabbits and 

 rarely miss the quarry. The weapon appears to be very ancient and 

 may at present be assigned almost exclusively to the Hopi. Clubs 

 that suggest the beginnings of the flat putc kohu are frequent (pi. 

 44, fig. 1, Cat. No. 69480, U.S.N.M.) and are the common form of the 

 Zuiii. This club is often flattened on the sides (pi. 44, fig. 2, Cat. 

 No. 69534, U.S.N.M.) and when more flattened and formed at one 

 end for grasping (pi. 44, fig. 3, Cat. No. 69443), the resemblance to 

 the typical putc Jcohu (pi. 44, fig. 4) is apparent. 



The bow and arrow must be regarded as having been the most im- 

 portant weapon of the Hopi, but as the innate character of the people 

 is peaceful, their name expressing this aspect, the extent and develop- 

 ment of weapons among them is very limited. The bows, so far as 

 [nay be determined from specimens collected within forty years and 

 which no doubt represent modified survivals, are small. Thej^ are 

 made of a hard and elastic oak, Quercus gamheJli., procured in the 

 mountains far to the north of the villages, and though short are 

 strong and effective. They are self bows and there is no evidence 

 that they were backed with sinew, as was the custom with their neigh- 

 bors and enemies, the Ute, Navaho, Apache, and other tribes. As 

 mentioned, the formation of a bow from tough oak by means of the 



