NELSON] MASKS 405 



project all around like a halo. This is held in position by being inserted 

 in the split ends of pegs placed around the border of the mask. 



To the outer hoop surrounding the mask, one on each side and one 

 on the top, are attached three long quill feathers having the vanes 

 removed on one side and with a tuft of downy feathers tied to their 

 ends. The bird s wings are represented by small, flat, somewhat paddle- 

 shape pieces, which are fastened to the shoulders of the image with flexi 

 ble pieces of root inserted in holes, enabling the wings to play as the 

 wearer moved. Just back of these, one on each side, are rudely cut 

 representations of a pair of thumbless hands with the fingers free and 

 the palms pierced by a large, round hole. Back of these hands are 

 two paddle- shape attachments of wood, representing the bird s feet, 

 also fastened to the body with flexible pieces of root. At the posterior 

 end three long, slender, paddle-shape strips are fastened in the same 

 manner to represent the bird s tail. 



In the middle of the bird s back, occupying about one-half the space, 

 is a well-carved semihuman face, supposed to represent the inna of the 

 bird. This face has the eyes pierced through the mask; the mouth is 

 represented as open, with the teeth thrown in relief by incised cross 

 lines. The walrus, bird s beak and feet, the pierced hands on tlie sides 

 with the exception of the tips of the fingers, the hoops encircling the 

 mask, and the border of the face on the bird s back, are painted red, as 

 well as the outlines of the mouth and the teeth. The bird s wings, neck, 

 back, and tail-feathers are dull blue. The bird s face and the pupil of 

 the eye are white and the iris black, the face on the bird s back is 

 white with black dots to represent the mustache, beard, and eyebrows. 

 The depression just above the nostrils is indicated in black, as is also a 

 representation of snow-goggles drawn across the eyes. 



Figure 2, plate c, from Cape liomanzof, south of the mouth of the 

 Yukon, is a mask 9 by 5i inches, representing a guillemot swimming 

 on the surface of the water. The head and neck are carved from a 

 separate piece, which is fastened to the body by a peg. The wings are 

 indicated by thin, flipper-like pieces of wood attached by flexible pieces 

 of root, and at one time the tail was represented by similar appendages 

 which have been broken off and lost. On the back of this figure is 

 carved in relief a curious, hastate-shape countenance, with the sharp 

 point near the base of the bird s neck. Near the center of the base of 

 this hastate-shape area on the bird s rump a single round hole pierces 

 the wood and represents an eye. Below this are placed two obliquely- 

 set, oval nostrils and a crescent-shape mouth with the corners upturned. 



The upper part of the head, neck, and body of the bird are painted 

 dull blue, with large white spots. The lower part of the neck and 

 breast, with the surface of the flippers and the face on the back, are 

 white. The white face is thinly spotted with black on the sides and 

 lower portion and a single black spot is on the middle of the wing. 

 The interior of the nostrils is dull blue, and a broadly crescentic, white 



