172 



A STUDY OF CHIRIQUIAN ANTIQUITIES. 



sed rut ofien 



Fig. 276. 



a Fig. 278. b 



Fig. 276. Top-shaped whistle with two finger- 

 holes ; from El Banco. '/ 



Fig. 277. Top-shaped whistle with three finger- 

 holes. Alligator ware. (After Holmes.) '/> 



Fig. 278. End views of instrument shown in pre- 

 ceding figure. (After Holmes.) 



1 Op. cit, figs. 245-246. 



Of the other two specimens belonging 

 to this general type one is unpainted and 

 incised like the foregoing. It also has 

 but two finger-holes. The easily break- 

 able part of the mouthpiece is lost, thus 

 increasing the general resemblance to a 

 spindle-whorl. The third instrument be- 

 longs to the alligator group of ware. In 

 general shape and in the character of the 

 painted designs, it is so much like the 

 one reproduced by Holmes, 1 that I have 

 borrowed, his illustrations (figs. 277 and 

 278). The number of tones that can be 

 produced is the same for both. The range 

 of the Yale specimen is given in the ac- 

 companying staff, and is exactly the first 

 half of the diatonic scale. 



End closed- End o/^en 



With possibly a single exception, there 

 are no drums in the collection ; but 

 there are a number of drum-shaped whist- 

 les. One of the simplest of these is of 

 plain biscuit ware. The chamber is not 

 quite cylindrical, the diameter of one end 

 being slightly larger than that of the other. 

 The smaller end is surmounted by a plastic 

 animal figure. 



The combination of drum and bird is 

 seen in figure 279. Here the drum is more 

 nearly conical than cylindrical. Projecting 

 from its convex surface are the head and 

 tail of a bird, the tail serving as a mouth- 

 piece. The neck of the bird is perforated 

 for suspension. Two finger-holes are 

 on the breast of the bird, this number 

 being constant unless otherwise stated. 

 The gently concave base is handsomely 

 decorated and alligator motives cover the 

 ventral surface of the bird. 



Sometimes the drum is surmounted by 

 grotesque life forms or combinations of the 



