NELSON] ARROWSHAFT STRAIGHTENERS BEAVER-TOOTH TOOLS. 89 



locality. A specimeu (figure 11) from Golofnin bay, made from deer- 

 horn, has one end shaped to represent the head of a deer. Figure 4, 

 from Cape Nome, has a well-carved head of a reindeer on the larger 

 end, with the eyes formed by inlaid beads; the other end terminates 

 in a representation of a hoof. 



Plate XL, 3, from Cape is^ome, has the larger end terminating in the 

 form of the head and forelegs of a white bear, the eyes being repre- 

 sented by blue beads. 



Plate XL, 12, from Sledge island, is of deerhorn, and has the head of ' 

 a deer carved upon its larger end with blue beads for eyes. Another 

 specimen from Sledge island is of ivory and shows signs of great 

 age. It is the only one of these objects showing much effort at orna- 

 mentation by etched figures; scattered over the surface a number of 

 reindeer are represented. Plate xl, 2, from the Diomede islands, is 

 of ivory and has two bears' heads rudely carved on the larger end. 

 Figure 7, rom Hotham inlet, is a beautiful specimen representing a 

 reindeer in a recumbent position, with the legs folded beneath the body. 

 Figure 8, from Kotzebue sound, is another fine carving, representing a 

 reindeer lying down with the legs folded beneath the bodj'^; the horns 

 are represented by two spikes of iron set in the head; the eyes were 

 represented by beads, which have been lost. Figure 10, from Point 

 Hope, has the larger end rounded into a knob-like termination which 

 is crossed along its upper edge by a series of incised grooves. Speci- 

 mens similar in form to that shown in figure G were found over a wide 

 area and seem to be the most general type of these implements. 



Plate XL, 1, from Norton sound, made from deerhorn, and figure 5, of 

 wood, from the same locality, are somewhat similar in form to straight- 

 eners for arrowshafts, but are used for straightening and setting 

 arrowpoints. 



BEAVER-TOOTH TOOLS 



A tool made from the chisel-shape tooth of the beaver is used as a 

 gouge for making the hollows for the fingers in throwing-sticks, for 

 cutting grooves, and for excavating hollows in fashioning boxes, masks, 

 spoons, and wooden dishes. The smooth back of the tooth is used also 

 as a polishing instrument for finishing woodwork, and the carved outer 

 edge serves for sharpening knives by rubbing it sharply along the 

 blades. These tools are still in use, but to some extent they have been 

 superseded by implements of steel and iron, since these metals have 

 become more easily obtainable. Plate xxxviii, 21, from Chalitmut, is 

 a typical example of these implements, having a beaver tooth set in a 

 wooden handle and held firmly in place by a wrapping of rootlets. 



Figure 25, 3, from Port Clarence, is a beaver tooth for sharpening 

 steel or iron knives, set in a short wooden haft with a wrapping about 

 the end. Figure 25, 2, from Norton sound, is a beaver-tooth knife 

 sharpener, with a strip of tanned skin, about seven inches in length, 



