PRACTICES TO OBTAIN CHILDREN 93 



certain dietary regulations for two years. She was 

 not allowed to look at the sky or go down to the 

 beach like other people, or it would become bad 

 weather. Among the Stastas the maturing girl had to 

 wear a large hat covered with green paint which 

 protected her face from the sun and fire. 1 The Malemut 

 and other Eskimo about Bering Strait compel a girl 

 to live for forty days in a corner of the hut with her 

 face to the wall or in summer in a rough separate hut, 

 her hood over her head and her hair hanging 

 dishevelled over her eyes. She is not allowed to go 

 out at all by day and only once during the night when 

 every one is asleep. 2 In south-western Oregon the 

 Takelma girl is subjected to a number of ceremonies 

 and taboos. " She was not permitted for instance to 

 look at the sky or to gaze too freely about her ; and to 

 ensure this a string of the blue jay's tail-feathers tied 

 on close together was put about " her forehead and 

 tied to her back hair, " an arrangement that effectually 

 screened from her view everything about her." She 

 sleeps with her head in a funnel-shaped basket, the 

 declared purpose (which may be very different from 

 the real purpose) being to prevent her from dreaming 

 of the dead a bad omen. 3 



The Paliyans of the Palni Hills in the south of 

 India celebrate a feast when a girl attains maturity. 

 Two weeks previously a grass-hut is built for her. 

 There she remains shut up for twelve days, food being 

 brought to her once or twice a day. On the morning 

 of the thirteenth day the matrons of the settlement 



1 Swanton, Jesup Exped. v. 49, 50. 



2 Nelson, Rep. Bur. Ethn. xviii. 291. 



3 E. Sapir, Amer. Anthrop. N.S. ix. 274. 



