NELSON] : TOMCOD-FISHING APPARATUS 177 
sinker, passes a whalebone leader with a small hook at each end; these 
hooks have an ivory shank through which is passed a pointed iron spike 
bent upward at the point. Hanging from the lower end of the sinker 
is another leader of about the same length as the others with a straight 
shanked hook of the ordinary style, with four points. 
The style of tomeod hook used from the Yukon mouth to the Kus- 
kokwim is illustrated in figure 3, plate Lx1x. This specimen, obtained 
at Askinuk, has a long, round shank of deerhorn, with a knob at the 
upper end for attachment of the line, and the lower end is enlarged 
to a doubly conical base, which has three slits at equal intervals, nar- 
rowed on the outside and widening within. Above these, on the upper 
cone, are three similar slits alternating around the surface with the 
first-named. Into these slits are fitted long, slender, sharp-pointed 
spines of deerhorn, 35 to 4 inches in length, projecting upward and 
slightly outward. This hook is moved slowly up and down in the 
water, and catches the fish by piercing them from below while they 
are gathered about the ivory sinker. 
Figure 21, plate Lxvu1, from Cape Prince of Wales, is a common 
style of ivory-shanked tomcod hook, with four projecting iron points. 
It varies from the ordinary style in having the shank made in a series 
of curves instead of being straight. 
A peculiar style of tomcod hook and sinker, from Cape Nome, is 
shown in figure 10, plate Lx1x. The sinker is made from an old, stained 
piece of ivory, fashioned into the shape of a fish. Two blue beads are 
inserted in rings of ivory near the lower end to represent eyes, and 
another is inlaid on the lower surface. The tail is formed of a piece of 
white ivory attached to a truncated end of the dark material by a lash- 
ing of fine cord; the mouth is represented by a hole, in which is a 
leader, attached to which, below the sinker, are three orange-yellow 
pieces from the bill of the crested auklet, which are strung on a 
fine sinew cord with two blue beads, serving to attract the fish. At 
the lower end of the leader is a hook, with the upper part of the shank 
of ivory and the lower of deerhorn. These are fastened together with 
small bone pegs and a lashing of fine cord around the joint. At the 
base were four iron points, one of which has been broken off. 
Figure 26, plate LXv1t, from Cape Nome, is a rod used for fishing 
for tomcod, with an ivory line guide in the end. Figure 20, plate 
LXvill, from St Lawrence island, are bone shanks for tomeod hooks, 
made with two slits on the sides at the lower end, in which may be 
inserted upright bone barbs; the upper end is broadened and flattened 
a little and pierced for the attachment of a line. Figure 22 of the 
same plate, from St Lawrence island, is a rather flat, shuttle-shape rod, 
notched at each end and having wound upon it a long line made from 
whalebone, with a set of four tomcod hooks at the ends of leaders, 
which are of the ordinary straight-shank pattern with four barbed 
points of copper. Figure 9, plate LXvi, from St Michael, is a deer- 
18 ETH——12 : 
