48 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [ETH.ANX. 18 



line of the exposed surface is quadrangular, with the two sides rounded ; 

 the surface is plain, beveled at each end and crossed lengthwise by a 

 groove. Other styles of labrets worn along this coast, in addition to 

 those already described, have a large inner flange beveled to fit the 

 teeth, and a large, rounded, knob-like head to project through the lips; 

 these are made from various materials, usually some kind of stone. 



The specimen (plate xxn, 14) from Kotzebue sound is the finest labret 

 obtained. It is made of nephrite and measures three and a half inches 

 long by an inch and a quarter wide on its outer surface. It is reduced 

 in thickness uniformly, is very regular in outline, and has a well-made 

 button-shape projection on the inner surface for fastening it in the lip. 



Some large labrets made of white quartz were obtained at Point 

 Hope; they are circular in outline on their outer faces, measure an inch 

 and a half in diameter, and have the ordinary flanged projection inside 

 for holding them in position. Some of these have the outer face plane 

 and a few have half of a large blue bead fastened to the center of the 

 outer surface. Others have the middle of the outer surface plane and 

 thence to the border slightly beveled. The labret shown in plate XXTI, 

 18, is a good example of the variety with the bead in relief. Plate 

 xxn, 17, shows one with plane surface. 



The collection also contains a specimen obtained by Mr Woolfe from 

 Point Hope, which has a large blue bead fitted upon a wooden peg 

 which pierces the hat-shape portion of the labret in a manner exactly 

 similar to those from the island of Nunivak and adjacent mainland. 



Among the males labrets are worn only after puberty, as the lips of 

 the young boys are not pierced until that period. The hole is made 

 just below each corner of the mouth and at first a long, thin, nail-like 

 plug of ivory, about an inch in length, having a slight enlargement at 

 the inner end, is thrust through the opening and left for some time. 

 After the wearer becomes accustomed to this, a somewhat larger plug is 

 made, like that shown in plate xxn, 22, from Sledge island, and inserted 

 in the hole for the purpose of enlarging it. This process is repeated, a 

 larger plug being used on each occasion until the hole is of the size 

 desired. In many cases it is so large that the teeth are visible through 

 the opening when the labret is not in place. 



To complete the process of enlarging the hole, a man uses a series of 

 from six to eight or ten of these little plugs, which he afterward 

 pierces at their small ends and keeps strung upon a sinew cord, as 

 shown in plate xxn, 25, from Koyukuk river and figure 23 of the same 

 plate from Ufiaktolik. These he may keep among his small effects 

 or they may be hung as pendent ornaments to the end of his wife s 

 waist belf, or to the strap of her needle case. When they are used in 

 this way as ornaments, the men frequently etch little patterns upon 

 them, as shown in some of the specimens (plate xxn, 23), which have 

 about their center a double band of incised lines, making a zigzag pat 

 tern, with the raven totem mark toward the larger end. Various other 

 figures are also drawn upon these ornaments as fancy may dictate. 



