68 AMERICAN FISHERIKS SOCIKTV. 



Shaped very much like a fiddle-head ; a hole for the forefinger. 

 The bend is a great advantage to the hunter, as it increases the 

 facility of launching the weapon, and a spear, when used with 

 this, will go a great distance. Mouth of McKenzie river (show- 

 ing specimen). Most primitive of all the collection, a very 

 rude furrow for tlie spear, a hole for the forefinger. 



The Anderson river is the dividing line between the eastern 

 and western Esquimaux. From tliat line going westward and 

 southward the throwing-stick im[)r()ves very rapidly. Tlic form 

 begins to greatly resemble the razor strop handle, with liook or 

 peg at the end of the grove for catching the notcli in the end ot 

 the spear, groove, hole for the forefinger, notch for the thumb, 

 and in some instances ivory pegs are inserted, thus making 

 spaces for the fingers, affording a better grasp. 



In Alaska, great headlands project out into the water, thus 

 creating barriers among the people and causing sharp dividing 

 lines and differences in the forms and degree of elaboration of 

 the throwing-stick. After passing the Island of Nunivak, the 

 finger hole disappears, and is not again seen until we come to 

 Kodiak island toward the east. From one of the Aleutian 

 islands we have a left-handed throwing-stick with hole for the 

 forefinger, and another left-handed specimen from Nunivak, 

 razor strcjp handle, no hole for forefinger, thumb notch and pegs 

 on opposite side making finger spaces. 



I will not try to tell you how far back in the past tiiis inven- 

 tion must have been made. References are made in old classi- 

 cal literature to one or two forms of contrivances for giving ad- 

 ditional force to weapons used in throwing or darting, and I 

 think probably this device is the descendant or offspring of 

 something of that kind for giving additi(jnal momentum, rather 

 than a transformation of the bow. 



By using the throwing-stick with the spear, the force is given 

 to that weapon which the bow gives the arrow, or the sling to 

 the missile thrown. So that this little instrument lends its aid 

 in the three regions mentioned, supplying a great need, prob- 

 ably to be met by no other means. 



iVashiinrtoii, D. C. 



