48 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [ETH. ANN. 18 
line of the exposed surface is quadrangular, with the two sides rounded ; 
the surface is plain, beveled at each end and crossed lengthwise by a 
groove. Other styles of labrets worn along this coast, in addition to 
those already described, have a large inner flange beveled to fit the 
teeth, and a large, rounded, knob-like head to project through the lips; 
these are made from various materials, usually some kind of stone. 
The specimen (plate xx11, 14) from Kotzebue sound is the finest labret 
obtained. It is made of nephrite and measures three and a half inches 
long by an inch and a quarter wide on its outer surface. It is reduced 
in thickness uniformly, is very regular in outline, and has a well-made 
button-shape projection on the inner surface for fastening it in the lip. 
Some large labrets made of white quartz were obtained at Point 
Hope; they are circular in outline on their outer faces, measure an inch 
and a half in diameter, and have the ordinary flanged projection inside 
for holding them in position. Some of these have the outer face plane 
and a few have half of a large blue bead fastened to the center of the 
outer surface. Others have the middle of the outer surface plane and 
thence to the border slightly beveled. The labret shown in plate xx1, 
18, is a good example ot the variety with the bead in relief. Plate 
XXII, 17, shows one with plane surface. 
The collection also contains a specimen obtained by Mr Woolfe from 
Point Hope, which has a large blue bead fitted upon a wooden peg 
which pierces the hat-shape portion of the labret in a manner exactly 
similar to those from the island of Nunivak and adjacent mainland. 
Among the males labrets are worn only after puberty, as the lips of 
the young boys are not pierced until that period. The hole is made 
just below each corner of the mouth and at first a long, thin, nail-like 
plug of ivory, about an inch in length, having a slight enlargement at 
the inner end, is thrust through the opening and left for some time. 
After the wearer becomes accustomed to this, a somewhat larger plug is 
made, like that shown in plate xx1I, 22, from Sledge island, and inserted 
in the hole for the purpose of enlarging it. This process is repeated, a 
larger plug being used on each occasion until the hole is of the size 
desired. In many cases it is so large that the teeth are visible through 
the opening when the labret is not in place. 
To complete the process of enlarging the hole, a man uses a series of 
from six to eight or ten of these little plugs, which he afterward 
pierces at their small ends and keeps strung upon a sinew ~d, as 
shown in plate Xx11, 25, from Koyukuk river and figure 23 of tiie same 
plate from Unaktolik. These he may keep among his small effects 
or they may be hung as pendent ornaments to the end of his wife’s 
waist belt, or to the strap of her needle case. When they are used in 
this way as ornaments, the men frequently etch little patterns upon 
them, as shown in some of the specimens (plate XXII, 23), which have 
about their center a double band of incised lines, making a zigzag pat- 
tern, with the raven totem mark toward the larger end. Various other 
figures are also drawn upon these ornaments as faney may dictate. 
