406 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [eth.ann. 18 



area surrounding the eye is bordered by a narrow black line. The face 

 on the back of the bird represents its viua. 



Figure 1, plate c, from lower Kuskokwim river, is 11^ incbes long by 

 5 inches wide, and represents a human figure with outspread arms and 

 legs. The, head, arms, and legs are set in by squared pegs at their 

 inner jiortion, which are inserted into holes in the body of the mask. 

 The front of the body of this mask has a grotesque, semi hum an face 

 in low relief, shut in by little doors which, hinged upon either side, 

 are made to open outward, and are controlled by sinew cords. This 

 figure is similar in general character, exce[>t the doors, to a mask 

 described from the lower Yu.kou (number 1445). The inside of the head 

 is deeply excavated and the back of the body is shallowly concave. 

 Along the inside of the hands and arms, as well as of the legs to the 

 feet, extend grooves painted red, bordered with black, and set with 

 pegs to represent teeth. This indicates that the being represented was 

 supposed to be provided with mouths all along these portions of its fig- 

 ure. The head has two round eyes and a crescentic mouth with points 

 upturned, but no features in relief. The face on the front of the body 

 has the eyeholes, broadly spaced nostrils, and flattened oval, nearly 

 horizontal mouth pierced through the mask; the mouth is provided 

 with squared, peg-like projections to indicate teeth. The entire mask, 

 when the doors ai*e closed in front, with the exception of the mouth 

 area along the arms and legs, is white. 



The inner surfaces of the doors, as well as the concealed face, are 

 white with the exception of the outlined spectacle-like figure covering 

 the eyes, a line indicating the mustache, and the figures of two rein- 

 deer upon the inner side of one of the doors and the figures of two 

 seals upon the inner side of the other door, which are black. A nar- 

 row strip of deerskin with upstanding hair surrounds the head. Upon 

 each shoulder, as well as along the sides, are inserted white feathers. 

 The exact meaning of this figure is not known, but the doors conceal- 

 ing the face on the front of the body indicate that the concealed features 

 are supposed to represent the inner countenance oT'inna of the being. 

 Other masks of this character were seen in the region between Kusko- 

 kwim and Yukon rivers, as well as on the lower Kuskokwim, and in one 

 or.nlore.iustsiuces I saw masks having an outer or movable, portion 

 representing the muzzle of some animal which could be removed at a 

 certain time in the festival by a single motion of the hand. These 

 \/ were used. to represent the metamorphosis from the ordinary form of 



the being indicated to that of its inua. 



Figure .3,. plate C,from Pastolik, at the northern border of the Yukon 

 mouth, is. a rather flat, pear-shape mask, 12| inches long by 5i inches 

 broad. It is liiade with a grotesque, semihuman face on the rounded 

 larger end and tapers back to an obtuse point at the top. On the left side 

 of the face are two rudely carved representations of human legs fastened 

 to the mask by quills. One of these is inserted near the corner of the 



