HAEBI E XGTOX] ETHNOZOOLOGY OF THE TEW A INDIANS 51 



&amp;gt;. ypy, , tail rattle (qw& y, tail; pu , rattle). Rattlesnakes of 

 any species and also their rattles are called qw&ypy . (See 

 below.) 



Crotalus sp. Rattlesnake. 



Several species of rattlesnake have been recorded from New Mexico, 

 but none from the area under discussion, so far as we are aware. Two 

 specimens have been killed at El Rito de los Frijoles within two or 

 three years, as we are informed by Judge Abbott and Mr. Dowell, 

 but they were not specifically identified. The Indians say rattle 

 snakes are common in the Rio Grande Canyon not far from the Rito. 

 C. confluentus confluentus (Say) probably occurs in this region, and 

 perhaps other species. 



Any species of snake is called psenu. The following kinds are 

 known by name : 



Pi su, red arrow (pi , red; su, arrow). These slender red snakes 

 almost fly through the air, according to the natives. 



Tsiypzenu, basalt snake (tsi, basalt rock; psenu, snake). 



Ng, yp%ny,, earth snake (n& y, earth; psenu, snake). These are 

 brownish. 



Po pxnu, water snake (po } water; pxnu, snake). Any kind of 

 water snake may be called thus. 



Po ma qwi bcg?e (po , water; ma , (?); qwi tied, tangled, a knot, a 

 thicket; beg?e, low place, dell, low corner). What the name means is 

 not clear. This is a kind of water snake, possibly a synonym of 

 po p%nu. 



1 Usidi, a snake a yard long, &quot;earth-colored.&quot; 



Nfr q , San Ildefonso dialect na yda . A kind of snake longer than 



p*Q ydi H , black snake (p%ny } snake; p*G y, black). A dark- 

 colored snake species. , 



Qws^ ypy, , tail bell (qw% y, tail; py, , bell or rattle). This name I 

 applies to any kind of rattlesnake, and is given above. Py, now 

 usually means bell of any kind; formerly it referred to anything 

 which gave out a note when struck or made a rattling sound. Ex 

 amine: nse i Ji pxnuncLqu?3e. ypu mu qwse ydivie, this snake has a rattle 

 on its tail (n% , this; pseny,, snake; nd, it; qw% y, tail; py, , bell; 

 my, , to be, to be provided with; qw% y, tail; iwe } locative); ^ * 

 ytei fomy, , it has ten rattles te *, ten; y,, it, with reference to it; 

 tsi gij notch, narrow place; my, , to be, to be provided with) . 



Of snakes one says either ndm% , it goes (n&amp;lt;%, it; mse, , to go), or 

 iqwa mse y, it crawls ( i, it; qwa m% y, to go crawlingly, like a man 

 on all fours). 



