450 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [ETH. ANN. 18 
appearance. This man said that such showers were known to have 
taken place at widely distant intervals and that people were very much 
frightened by them. After one occurred they saved all the bones and 
scraps of food, even the skins of animals, after removing the hair, in 
order to forestall the expected famine. During the cold months of 
winter following one of these occurrences the people ate every scrap, 
saving the dried fish and better food for spring, when they feared 
another fall might take place. 
These accounts undoubtedly refer to falls of volcanic ashes from 
eruptions taking place in the Aleutian islands and other points in this 
region, and are interesting as showing the manner in which occurrences 
of this kind are treasured in the memories of these people. 
ANIMAL SYMBOLISM 
When the first foxes caught in fall are lean the old men predict a hard 
winter, and if the white geese commence to fly southward early in 
autumn an early winter is expected to follow. 
The names of birds and other forms of animal life used among these 
people are frequently very expressive, as for instance, the term applied 
to the emperor goose, which means ‘“‘the hooded one,” and the name for 
the grass snipe (Tringa maculata), called “the walrus talker” from its 
booming note, which is similar to that of the walrus. 
FOLK TALES 
SCOPE OF ALASKAN FOLKLORE 
The following legends are from various localities. The name of the 
place whence each was obtained is given at the beginning of each tale. 
The Alaskan Eskimo possess an almost endless number of tales and 
legends, which express in many details their religious beliefs and con- 
vey in an interesting form an idea of their ancient customs and modes 
of thought. In a section treating of their mythology are give notes on 
the supernatural animals and other beings which are mentioned in the 
legends. 
These tales are best known by certain old men who entertain their 
fellow-villagers by repeating them before the assembled people in the 
kashim. The Raven legends form a series of culture myths, and are 
especially popular as accounting for the existence of all things. These 
haye a widely-extended distribution, and I know personally of their 
existence among the people from Kotzebue sound southward around 
Bering strait to the mouth of Kuskokwim river. The Raven myth also 
exists on the Asiatic shore of Bering strait. At Plover bay, Siberia, 
there was seen a boy 10 or 12 years of age who had the raven totem 
tattooed on his forehead (figure 115), 
Special attention is invited to this series of legends, which are so 
similar in character to Raven legends existing among the Thnket of 
