NELSON] FINGER-RESTS—BIRD SPEARS 15a 
Figure 21, plate Lv1td, from Sledge island, is carved to represent the 
head of a seal. 
Figure 30, plate Lv), from Konigunugumut, is a round piece of 
ivory, with the interior excavated and crossed by a triangular hole for 
the passage of a cord. 
Figure 32, plate Lvir), from the lower Yukon, and figure 31 of the 
same plate, from Nunivak island, are roughly triangular finger rests 
of a very common style. They have three holes along the base for the 
cord. 
Figure 23, plate Lv1rb, from Sledge island, is a small, curved object, 
with a seal-head on the top and pierced with five small holes along 
the base for the attachment of cords by which it is lashed to the shaft 
of the spear. This device serves to hold a cord at a point where it is 
desired to pass it along the shaft in a different direction without form- 
ing a knot. Ordinarily small pegs are inserted in the shafts of these 
spears for this purpose, but in some instances objects of this kind are 
used, 
In addition to the use of spears for killing seals, walrus, and 
white whales, the Eskimo have several forms of spears for capturing 
birds, which vary considerably in length and in other details. The 
commonest form consists of a round wooden shaft, varying from 5 feet 
9 inches to 4 feet 3 inches in length, with three long, rounded, tapering 
points, barbed along the inner side with a series of serrations curved 
slightly outward and set in the form of a triangle in grooves around 
the lower end of the shaft. A strong sinew lashing, about one-third of 
the distance from their lower end, secures them to a small central knot 
on the end of the shaft, thence to their lower ends they are wrapped 
about with a braided sinew cord, which afterward passes spirally 
about the handle to the butt, where it is fastened. Plate Ly1it, after a 
photograph, illustrates the method of casting bird spears at St Michael. 
Figure 5, plate L1x, from Anogogmut, is a typical example of these 
spears. The shaft is not feathered. 
Figure 6 of the same plate, from Cape Nome, has a shorter shaft, 
near the butt of which are inserted three feathers from the tail of a 
cormorant. Figure 2, from Norton sound, is a bird spear with three 
rudely made points of deerhorn, the serrations on which are made to 
turn to the sides instead of toward the center as is the usual custom. 
Figure 3, from St Michael, has three deerhorn points, with serrations 
on their outer sides. Figure 4, from Nunivak island, has three bone 
points, triangular in cross section, with serrations in pairs facing 
inward. 
From Nunivak island and the adjacent mainland some spears were 
obtained similar to the preceding, except that they were not feathered 
and have four points. Figure 1, plate Lrx, from Nulukbtulogumut, is 
a typical specimen of these four-point bird spears. It has serrations 
on the inner faces of the points. 
