[89] fisheries of the united states. 



Piece of blackskin. 



A small section of tough skiu, termed " white-horse," cut from the 

 "bonnet" of a right- whale, invested with crustacean parasites, 

 the "barnacles" of the whalemen 5 shows the ravages of cock- 

 roaches while on the vessel. Brought home as a curio. Lecgth, 

 8J inches. ]!Tew Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 57094. U. S. 

 Fish Commission. 



Shell hook. 



Shank made from the hinge of a pearl-bearing shell {Avicula mar- 

 garitifera) ] hook portion of border of probably the same spe- 

 cies, made fast to shank with a seizing of some vegetable fiber. 

 Length, 5 inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 68139. 

 U. S. Fish Commission. Called " Kanaka hook" by whalemen, 

 the word "Kanaka" being vaguely and comprehensively ap- 

 plied to articles obtained from the islands of the South Pacific. 



Child's stockings. 



Seal-skin, sewed with thread made from the sinews of the back of 

 the deer. Made and used by Eskimo, Hudson Bay. Length, 

 5 inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 68143. U. S. 

 Fish Commission. Obtained from crew of whaling brig 

 " George and Mary." 



Eye-protectoes. 



Wood; two longitudinal slits; straps made from red cloth, used by 

 Eskimo, Hudson Bay, and American whalemen, to shield the 

 eyes from the glare of sun and snow. Length, 4| inches. New 

 Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 68141. TJ. S. Fish Commission. 

 Obtained from crew of whaling brig " George and Mary." 



Snow-kkife. 



Long blade, said to be made from a whaleman's boarding-knife, the 

 original having been made from a navy cutlass. Handle, wal- 

 rus ivory. Length, 17^ inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 

 1882. 68125. U. S. Fish Commission. Obtained from one of 

 the crew of whaling brig " George and Mary." Made and used 

 by Eskimo, Hudson Bay, for cutting out blocks of snow in 

 building igloos, as well as for cutting walrus meat. 



Idol. 



A species of the gourd family {Leginaria vulgaris), obtained by a 

 whaleman from a small island near the coast of New Guinea, 

 East Indies. As near as the captain of the vessel could under- 

 stand from the pantomimic gestures of the natives, it was wor- 

 shiped as an idol, and represented the " organs of generation, 

 or principle of life."^ — John H. Thomson. New Bedford, Mas- 

 sachusetts, 1882. 68138. Gift of John H. Thomson. 



