boas] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 459 



his claws (1.199-211). The Bird Of Good Luck helps people by his 

 song (1.79). 



Animals are also grateful for benefits bestowed upon them. The 

 Eagles who have been fed by a boy during the summer give him food 

 when he is deserted by his tribe (227, N 172). 



In some cases animals are mentioned that are members of the tribe, 

 slaves, or attendants of supernatural beings. The Codfish is the 

 slave of an ocean-being (240). The man who tries to recover 

 his wife finds at the bottom of the sea a Beaver (1.175), whom he 

 helps in cutting trees. In return the Beaver protects him against his 

 pursuers. He finds the Blind-Geese Women, whose eyesight he re- 

 stores, and who in turn help him by scattering their down, which 

 fills the eyes of the hostile Killer Whales. The Goose Woman appears 

 as a friendly being in N 234, warning a person against dangers. Otter 

 and Mink Woman are described as servants of the Killer Whale and 

 wives of G'ilks-atsla'ntk, a slave of the Killer Whale. They scent 

 enemies that visit the Killer Whale village. The Crane Woman is 

 the watchman of the Killer Whale and is bribed by a visitor, whom 

 she hides under her wings (1.177). The village of the Killer Whales 

 is at the bottom of the ocean. A Killer Whale with three dorsal fins 

 is described as a special friend of a person who had benefited him 

 (1.187). 



When the Killer Whales have stolen a woman, they try to trans- 

 form her into a Killer Whale by fitting a wooden fin on her back 

 (1.177). This fin is made of wood cut for the purpose. 



The Owner Of the Lake has Wolverene Woman for his wife (1.161). 

 When she eats, she bolts down whole seals; but when she is looked at, 

 she chokes. The Wolverene appears also as destroying the traps of 

 a hunter, whom she deceives by refusing to tell him the right kind of 

 taboo that she is using (175). 



A supernatural Lake Woman is the subject of a tale (155). She 

 gives to a woman the power to make every one rich who sees her; to 

 a man, to be always successful in gambling. 



The supernatural Whale that has its house on the bottom of the 

 lake near Prairie Town is described (347). It has gills like a fish, 

 and four fins in a row along its back like a Killer Whale's. 



A number of times supernatural animals living in lakes are men- 

 tioned. On 272 a Beaver with copper eyes, copper claws, copper 

 ears, and copper teeth, is described; and in N 147 we hear about a 

 Frog with copper claws and copper eyebrows. Both of these animals 

 are caught by the people, who obtain wealth through their help. 

 The skin of the frog is removed, and later on worn by the captor, 

 who thus acquires the power of the supernatural animal (N 150). 

 The skin is not taken to the house, but kept hung up on a tree (N 154)- 



