DENSMORB] MANDAN AND HIDATSA MUSIC 9 
for hanging it), the eagle feathers constituting about half this length. 
The rawhide head is about 34 inches thick. Hawk feathers were used 
on these rattles if eagle feathers were not available. A “ mushroom- 
shaped rattle” (pl. 9, d@) of somewhat similar construction was used 
in the ceremony that followed the eagle catching (pp. 62, 63). 
The Dog Society rattle (pl. 10, b) was supplied by Wounded 
Face, who said it had been in his possession for many years. Song 
_ No. 68 was recorded with the accompaniment of this rattle. Wounded 
* Face said that a dancer held the rattle in his right hand, which hung 
at his side, the rattle being shaken in that position. 
War wuistiEs.—Each society had its form of war whistle, or, ac- 
cording to Maximilian, its “war pipe,” made of a wing bone of a 
bird. Among the war pipes enumerated by Maximilian is a double 
whistle made of the wing bone of the goose. Wounded Face de- 
scribed a similar whistle made of quills, saying that the quills were 
those of very large birds, that they were cut 4 or 5 inches in length, 
fastened together side by side, and blown by directing the breath 
across the upper open ends of the quills. This whistle was said to 
produce two tones of different pitch. 
Maximilian states that the various sorts of war pipes are “ among 
the badges of the unions, which divide the men into six classes, 
according to their age.” He says “The first band or union is com- 
posed of the ‘foolish dogs.’ ... They are young people from ten 
to fifteen years of age, and wear a pipe made of the wing bone of the 
wild goose which is but small. ... The second class or band is that 
of the crows or ravens; it consists of young men from twenty to 
twenty-five years of age.” Theirs is “a double war-pipe consisting 
of two wing bones of a goose joined together. ... The third class 
or band is that of the soldiers,” who “paint the upper part of the 
face red, and the lower part black. Their war pipe is large, and 
made of the wing bone of a crane. . . . The fourth band, that of the 
dogs ... have a large war pipe of the wing bone of a swan. The 
fifth band is that of the buffaloes. ... This band alone has a 
wooden war pipe.” *4 
CouRTING WHISTLES.—Two types of courting whistles were in use 
among the Mandan and Hidatsa. The first type had the open end 
carved to represent the head of a bird, resembling in this respect the 
grass dance whistle of the Sioux and other tribes. (Cf. Bull. 61, 
Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 471.) The second type was said to be like 
this except that the end was not carved. This was called an “elk 
whistle” and was said to have “ originated through a man who had a 
dream.” In his dream he saw an elk which gave him one of these 
whistles and told him to use it in courting. It was said further 
*% Maximilian, op. cit., pt. 11, pp. 291-295. 
