416 



THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT 



[ETH. ANN. 18 



handle of the wand, surrounding the base of the large quill-feathers, are 

 lashed tufts of wolf hair or reindeer skin with the long hairs projecting. 

 A wand obtained at Gape Nome (figure 143) measures a little over 30 

 inches in length; those from the coast of Bering sea, farther to the 

 south, are somewhat longer. These wands are held upright in the 

 hands' of the women dancers and are moved back and forth, or from 

 one side to the other, with a slight swaying or beating motion, in time 

 with the movements of the dancers and the beating of the drum. 



In addition to the wands mentioned there were obtained at Cape 

 Nome other articles used for personal adornment during the perform- 

 ance of a winter festival at that place. One of these is an armlet 

 (figure 144) consisting of a strap made of tanned sealskin, to which 

 is sewed under an inclosing flap the front part of the lower jaw of a 

 white fox. 

 At the same place were procured a pair of tanned sealskin gloves with 



a pair of sea-parrot feet 

 sewed upon their backs. 



Used in the same dances 

 at this place is a fillet 

 (original number 0343) 

 made of a small, rounded 

 ring of fine shavings 

 twisted together and hav- 

 ing thrust through it a 

 small wooden peg, to the 

 upper end of which, in 

 front, are attached three 

 short eagle feathers about 

 six inches long, and three long eagle quills just behind these. To each 

 side of this ring is attached the end of a narrow rawhide strap for 

 passing over the top of the head. This is worn so that the ring of 

 shavings rests like a pad on the middle of the forehead, with the eagle 

 feathers standing upright. 



On Sledge island was seen a fillet, worn by a man during one of the 

 dances, which was made from the skin of the head, neck, and back of 

 the yellow-bill loon. 



On Kotzebue sound was obtained one of these headdresses (figure 145). 

 The skin, with feathers in place, Iiad been removed, leaving the beak 

 in liosition. The skull had also been removed and the skin split along 

 the head and neck both above and below, and a narrow strip from 

 along the middle of the back upon each side formed a continuation of 

 the bauds of neck skin. These long strips of skin are tied together at 

 the junction of the neck and the body, thus leaving the skin from the 

 back to hang down twelve or fifteen inches over the wearer's shoulders. 

 The fillet is worn in such a position that the long yellow beak of the 

 bird projects outward over the forehead. 



Fig. 144 — Armlet worn during dances 



