PEOPLE. 17 



sence among women of the upper left canine, which is knocked out at the time 

 of the first menstruation. 



Among the Guaymis are found manifest traces of totemism, each tribe, family 

 and individual having its tutelary animal. Like American Indians in general, they 

 believe in spirits and animism, employing magicians (siikia) and making offerings 

 to appease evil spirits. The dead are carried far into the forest and placed on 

 a scaffold. After a year has elapsed an official goes to the place, cleans the 

 bones, binds them in a package and transports them to the family sepulcher. 

 Formerly they deposited with the dead all his possessions. The Talamancas of 

 Costa Rica dispose of their dead in a similar manner. 



The Changuina-Dorasque stock formerly occupied the greater part of the prov- 

 ince of Chiriqui. By the middle of the XVIlIth century their limits were con- 

 fined to the plains of Chiriqui. In 1887 their number was reduced to thirteen 

 or fourteen persons of pure blood, living chiefly near Bugaba, Caldera and Dolega 

 (see map). As to the Dorasque tribe proper, the last member died between the 

 years 1882 and 1887. They were said to be lighter in color than the Guaymis 

 and also less cultured. 



As between the Guaymis and the Dorasques. Pinart believes the former to be 

 the descendants of the ancient Chiriquians. Dr. Berendt 1 would give the credit 

 to the Cunas or Coibas. but as he apparently included the Guaymis among the 

 Coibas, his conclusion does not differ materially from that of Pinart. Linguistic- 

 ally the Guaymis are more closely related to the Talamancas, the Terrabas and 

 the Borucas (or Bruncas) than to the Dorasques. Curiously enough the antiquities 

 from Boruca and Terraba have many points in common with those from Chiriqui. 

 That there was intercourse between the territory of the Talamancas (Mercedes) 

 and Chiriqui, is also attested by archeological evidence. The latter therefore 

 supports the claim of the Guaymis, who with the Borucas, Terrabas and Talamancas 

 belong to the Chibcha linguistic stock. 



If. then, the language was influenced by migrations from the south, did these 

 also bring the dominant forces that molded the art of Chiriqui? Pinart thinks 

 not, but that the ancient art of Chiriqui was influenced more by Mexico than by 

 the South. The northern impulse might have been transmitted along the Pacific 

 Coast. It could have also come down the Atlantic side ; for when in 1564, Coronado 

 subdued the Guaymis and Talamancas, he also encountered, in the valley of Coaza 

 (Robalo ?), a stream that flows into the Almirante bay, the Chichimecs, now extinct. 

 In order to communicate with the chief of this tribe it was necessary to employ 

 a Mexican interpreter. The art of Nicoya, of eastern Costa Rica and of Chiriqui, 

 is certainly superior to that of the Isthmian provinces to the east of Chiriqui. 



1 Dr. C. H. Berendt. Geographical distribution of the ancient Central American civiliza- 

 tion. Jour. Amer. geogr. soc., VIII, 132, 1876. 



MEMOIRS CONN. ACAU., Vol. III. 



