DENSMORE] MANDAN AND HIDATSA MUSIC 33 
With the next songs we enter the Hidatsa material and that in 
which the two tribes are more or less mingled. 
The 11 songs of the Stone Hammer and Fox Societies follow, and 
are combined for convenience of observation.. We note that 43 
per cent of the intervals are whole tones (major seconds), an un- 
usually large proportion of this interval. All but two contain 
rhythmic units, are major in tonality, and begin with a downward 
progression. The next 11 songs are those of the Dog Society in 
its various divisions and show striking peculiarities of their own. 
Major and minor are about equally divided. The range is large, 
only one song having a compass as small as an octave, while one 
has a range of 14 tones. They are strongly harmonic in feeling, only 
one song having a purely melodic structure. Attention is directed 
to the feeling for the dominant in these songs, five of which begin 
and eight end on the dominant. Every song except one has a 
rhythmic unit and contains a change of measure lengths. 
The next eight songs (Nos. 69-76) are in some respects the opposite 
of the preceding group. These are songs of the Buffalo and Horse 
Societies, all of which are melodic in structure. All but two are 
major in tonality and all except one begin on the accented portion 
of the measure, which is an unusually large proportion. Like the 
other songs of societies, they are rhythmic in character and all but 
two contain a rhythmic unit. 
The war songs (Nos. 77-102) are not rhythmic in character, only 
half the number containing a rhythmic unit. In six of these songs 
there is no change of measure length, which indicates an unusually 
steady time. Fourteen begin with an upward progression, which is 
a proportion larger than the average. In these, as in the songs of 
the Buffalo and Horse Societies, there is a strong feeling for the 
dominant, five beginning and 14 ending on that tone. Twelve of 
‘these songs are purely melodic in structure. 
The remaining eight songs are of various classes, grouped as “ mis- 
cellaneous,” and, like the songs connected with legends and folk tales 
(Nos. 31 to 36), they are quite evenly divided in all their character- 
istics. Three of the eight contain no rhythmic unit, which is smaller 
than the average percentage indicated in Table 17, page 25. 
Summary.—The general conclusion from the foregoing analysis 
is that many of the groups of songs have individual characteristics. 
It is interesting to note that the songs of the Dog Society are chiefly 
harmonic in structure, while all the songs of the Buffalo and Horse 
Societies are melodic. The contrast between these groups is further 
shown in their graphic outlines (pls. 11,12). Attention is directed to 
the lack of rhythmic unit in the war songs, combined with an unusu- 
ally large proportion of songs containing no change of measure 
