NELSON] NAMES OP MONTHS OR MOONS 235 



Very often several different names may be used to designate the 

 same moon if it should chance to be at a season when different occu- 

 pations or notable occurrences in nature are observed, and I have used 

 the most common terms. 



On the lower Yukon, near Mission, the following terms are used for 

 the moons: 



January, U-i'-wuk. The season for top-spinning and for running around the 

 kashim. ' 



January (last part, and first part of February), A-ki-luh' st-a'-gu-wlk. Time of 

 offal eating (from a-ki-lukJi-stakh-tdk, "he boils offal"). This name comes from the 

 scarcity of food likely to occur at this time and the necessity that arises during such 

 periods to eat scraps of every description. Another name used for this moon is 

 I-ga-luh'-liikh, the cold moon. 



February-March, Knp-nukh-clmk. The time of opening the upper passageways 

 into the houses. This term was said to come from the time long ago when they 

 claim it was much warmer than now and when the sun began to melt the snow a 

 month earlier than at present. 



March-April, Tm'-u-mi-dkh'-lhu-iig'-u-tvlk. Birds come. 



April-May, Tin'-u-mi-ag'-ii-wik. Geese come (tin-ii-mi-ilk, goose). 



May-June, Man-it' dn-u'-tit. Time of eggs {man' tk). 



June-July, Nuk' siig' -o-wik. Time of salmon (nuk'-suk). 



July-Aiigust, U-ko'-go-li-sog'-u-wtk, Time for red salmon (w-fcofy'-o-irA;). Also, TuT'- 

 ii-miat' in-u'-tit, Waterfowl molt. 



August-September, Tin'-u-mi-dt thl-u'-vi-dt. Time for young geese to fly. 



September-October, Am-x-gai'-gu-wlk. Time for shedding velvet {a-mi'-vik) from 

 reindeer horns. 



October-November, Chup' -wliik. Mush ice forms. 



November-December, Ka'-gitdgh'-u-wik. Time of muskrats (ka-gi'-tak). 



December-January, Chai-ugh'-u-wik, Time of the feast (chai'iik). 



Among $he Eskimo just south of the Yukon delta the following 

 moons are- recdgnjzed : 



January, Wi'-ivik. From the game with a top ; also the time of a certain festival in 

 which the dancers wear straw fillets stuck full of feathers. 



February, A-gdh-Iukh'-liik. The time of much moon (long nights). 



March, Un-dgh-o-wik. Time of taking hares in nets. 



April, Kup-nukh'-chuk. Time of opening summer doors. 



May, Tin-mi-dgh' -u-ivik. Arrival of geese. 



June, Chi-siigh'-ii-wik. Time of whitefish. 



July, Tiig-i-ynk'-puk ka-gu'-H. The time of braining salmon. (The fish are struck 

 on the head when lifted from the water.) 



August, Tul-u-mi-ut lu-ii'-ti. Geese molt. 



September, Eti'-gi-yut' tii-ii'-ti. Swans molt. 



October, Ttn-u'-tif. The flying away (migration of birds). 



November, Am'-i-gha'-ghun. Time of velvet shedding (from reindeer horns). 



The name for December was not obtained. 



NUMERATION 



The following notes and numerals are from the Unalit Eskimo, but 

 are typical of the system in use among all the Eskimo with whom I 

 came in contact, except those of the Aleutian islands: 



Kit-stchl', count. 

 ^r<-sk7n'-niU-, counting. 

 KU''8tchiok,'hci counts; 



