MURDOCH.] 



SEAL CALLS. 



253 



Seal calls (adrigautln). This implement consists of three! or four claws 

 mounted on tlie. end of n short wooden handle, and is used to make a 

 gentle noise by scratching on the ice. It is a common implement, 

 though I never happened to see it in use. We obtained six specimens, 

 of which No. 56555 [90] Fig. 253&amp;lt;/, is the type. It is 1H inches long. 

 The round handle, is of ash, the claws are, those of the bearded seal, 

 secured by a lashing of sinew braid, with the end brought down on the 

 under side to a little blunt, backward-pointing hook of ivory, set into 

 the, wood about 1 inch from the base of the arms. 



Fig. 253& (No. 50557 [93] from Utkiavwlu) is 9 inches long and has 

 four prongs. The haft is of spruce, and instead of an ivory hook there 

 is a round-headed stud of the same, material, which is driven wholly 

 through the wood, having the point cut off flush with the upper sur- 



Fio. U53. Scrutchcra fur ducoyiuj; seals. 



face. It has a lanyard of seal twine knotted into the hole in the haft. 

 The other two specimens of this pattern, Nos. 50550 [100J and 50558 

 [5LJ have each three claws, and hafts of soft wood, painted with red 

 ocner, with lanyards, and are respectively 10-4 and 10-7 inches long. 

 One has an ivory hook, but the other in place of this has a small iron 

 nail, and is ornamented with a medium-sized sky-bine glass bead inlaid 

 in the back. The other two are both new and small, being respectively 

 7-5 and 7-0 inches long. The hafts are made of reindeer antler and 

 have only two prongs. No. 89407 [1312] from Utkiavwln, has the haft 

 notched on each side, and has an irregular stud of bone for securing 

 the lashing. 



No. 89408 [1354], Fig. 253c, from Utkiavwln, has no stud and the claws 

 are simply held on by a slight lashing of twisted sinew. lioth of these 

 were made for the market, but may be models of a form once used. 

 There are two old seal calls in the Museum from near St. Michaels, 

 made of a piece of reindeer antler, apparently the spreading brow 

 antler, in which the sharp points of the antler take the place of claws. 



