NELSON] FINGER-RESTS BIRD SPEARS 151 



Figure 21, plate LVIT&, from Sledge island, is carved to represent the 

 head of a seal. 



Figure 30, plate LVII&, from Kofiigunugumut, is a round piece of 

 ivory, with the interior excavated and crossed by a triangular hole for 

 the passage of a cord. 



Figure 32, plate LVII&, from the lower Yukon, and figure 31 of the 

 same plate, from Nuuivak island, are roughly triangular finger rests 

 of a very common style. They have three holes along the base for the 

 cord. 



Figure 23, plate LVII&, from Sledge, island, is a small, curved object, 

 with a seal-head on the top and pierced with five small holes along 

 the base for the attachment of cords by which it is lashed to the shaft 

 of the spear. This device serves to hold a cord at a point where it is 

 desired to pass it along the shaft in a different direction without form 

 ing a knot. Ordinarily small pegs are inserted in the shafts of these 

 spears for this purpose, but in some instances objects of this kind are 

 used. 



In addition to the use of spears for killing seals, walrus, and 

 white whales, the Eskimo have several forms of spears for capturing 

 birds, which vary considerably in length and in other details. The 

 commonest form consists of a round wooden shaft, varying from 3 feet 

 9 inches to 4 feet 3 inches in length, with three long, rounded, tapering 

 points, barbed along the inner side with a series of serrations curved 

 slightly outward and set in the form of a triangle in grooves around 

 the lower end of the shaft. A strong sinew lashing, about one-third of 

 the distance from their lower end, secures them to a small central knot 

 on the end of the shaft, thence to their lower ends they are wrapped 

 about with a braided sinew cord, which afterward passes spirally 

 about the handle to the butt, where it is fastened. Plate LVIII, after a 

 photograph, illustrates the method of casting bird spears at St Michael. 



Figure 5, plate LIX, from Auogogmut, is a typical example of these 

 spears. The shaft is not feathered. 



Figure 6 of the same plate, from Cape Nome, has a shorter shaft, 

 near the butt of which are inserted three feathers from the tail of a 

 cormorant. Figure 2, from Norton sound, is a bird spear with three 

 rudely made points of deerhorn, the serrations on which are made to 

 turn to the sides instead of toward the center as is the usual custom. 

 Figure 3, from St Michael, has three deerhorn points, with serrations 

 on their outer sides. Figure 4, from Nunivak island, has three bone 

 points, triangular in cross section, with serrations in pairs facing 

 inward. 



From Nunivak island and the adjacent mainland some spears were 

 obtained similar to the preceding, except that they were not feathered 

 and have four points. Figure 1, plate LIX, from Nulukhtulogumut, is 

 a typical specimen of these four-point bird spears. It has serrations 

 on the inner faces of the points. 



