boas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 665 



then pierces their noses. Eagle makes him tired, and for this reason he pierces his 

 nose without taking any pains. 



Among the Newettee we find a somewhat elaborate account of the 

 painting of the birds. 



After /£ meal has obtained thetides from the Wolves, the birds go down to the 

 beach to gather sea food. Then 0' e meal paints the birds. After he is through with 

 most of them, he rubs coal over the raven, clay over the sea gull. At this time the 

 tide rushes in; and those who could not escape beeomesea birds, the others become 

 land birds Nea. The version Ne6 is more elaborate. Corneal invites all the people 

 to his house and paints them for two days. Then he asks his brothers to continue 

 with this work while he goes out to burn the bottom of his canoe, in preparation of 

 war against the fishes. After his brothers have painted the birds for one day, they 

 call him, saying that they are tired. Raven is in a hurry, and rubs some with coal, 

 others with clay. This is the origin of the black and white birds. Then Fern is told 

 to dress up and to act as dance-leader. Meanwhile his canoe is burned. He becomes 

 angry , and requests Deer to call all the people, whom he orders to scatter all over the 

 world. 



In the Bellacoola version the four servants of the deities, Masmasala'nix and his 

 brothers, paint the birds, who live in the sky. Raven wants to be painted first, but 

 is not satisfied with the colors given to him. Finally the deities become tired and 

 make him black BC 5.241. 



The Comox tell that the Transformer painted all the birds; that Raven wanted to 

 be made very beautiful. Finally he makes the deity tired, who paints him black Co 

 5.64. 



In the same way the raven is made black by the Chippewayan hero Dene, because 

 the colors given to him do not satisfy him. 



The Bellacoola and Comox versions differ from the others, in so far 

 as they account for the black color of the raven. Nevertheless, in 

 the Newettee version, /£ mea}, who takes the place of the northern 

 raven, paints the raven, so that there is a certain relation between 

 this Newettee version and that of the Bellacoola and Comox. 



The Chilliwack tale recorded by Hill-Tout differs considerably from 

 the others. 



During a famine the men desert women and children, make a weir, and catch 

 some salmon. A boy ties salmon roe to his leg and informs his mother of what has 

 happened. The women thereupon beat their husbands' beds and call upon the 

 Transformer Xexu'Is to transform the men. The feathers and paint of the men fly 

 towards them, and they are painted and transformed inlo birds, Chilliwack 368. 



In connection with this tale might be mentioned the Chinook 

 account of the painting of the birds (Kath 44). 



A shining copper appears at sea and is harpooned. It is cut up and distributed. 

 The birds are given the blood, which they put on their heads. Some are painted 

 green, others white, others black. Bluejay is given the best part; but when he 

 shows off his beauty, Clam takes it away from him and jumps into the water. Then 

 Bluejay is painted with the refuse. 



An analogous story is told by the Quinault. 



A beautiful duck appears. It is shot by two girls. The feathers are distributed 

 among the people. This gives rise to the bright feathers, crests, and patches in the 

 : of the birds. Bluejay is rolled about in the feathers left over, Quin 92. 



