62 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 80 
was bestowed on the selection of suitable places, but this in itself 
was not considered sufficient to insure success. Benson stated that 
“it was a very solemn thing to go out to catch eagles, and if a man 
were not serious he would not succeed.” The eagle-catching songs 
recorded by Benson are Nos. 19 to 30. 
The writer visited an eagle trap, which had been in disuse for 
about 75 years. It was near the house of Running Rabbit, at the 
edge of the “bad lands,” and was considered a particularly well- 
located trap in the old days. Running Rabbit’s father had used it 
so many times that when the land on the reservation was divided 
among the Indians he asked that the knoll on which it was located 
be made part of his allotment. His wish was granted, and the land 
is now in the possession of his son. The trap is situated on the 
western slope of a butte, which is one of a long series, all being 
somewhat similar in contour. From the eagle trap there is a wide 
view toward the north and northwest (pl. 17, a, 6). The spot 
selected for the trap was a small bench, or bit of comparatively 
level Jand, not much larger than the trap itself. Weeds and brush 
had filled the hollow, but these were easily cut away and the writer 
descended into it. The hollow was found to be 3 feet deep and less 
than 4 feet in width. It was intended that the proportions of the 
trap should be such that when a man was seated in it his head 
would be only a little below the brush matting, thus enabling him 
to reach up and grasp the feet of the eagle. A bone was found 
sticking upright in the ground close to the trap on the side toward 
the summit of the knoll. This bone (pl. 16, a) had apparently been 
used for fastening the bait. It was identified as an upright vertebra 
of the buffalo, is about 14 inches in length, and on it there remains a 
trace of red paint.°® The-writer also visited the location of the 
eagle catcher’s camp, about a mile distant from this trap. 
Benson stated that at the close of the eagle-catching camp there 
occurred a period of fasting, which continued four days. During 
this time certain ceremonial rattles were used by Old Wolverine. 
The rattles are known as “mushroom rattles” because of their 
shape; two used in the old times, as already indicated, are in the 
possession of Ben Benson. Old Wolverine held a rattle in each 
hand and struck them together, either the edges or the flat tops, 
after which he shook them in the usual manner of using a rattle. 
The specimen illustrated (pl. 9, d) belonged to Moves Slowly and is 
in the possession of the North Dakota Historical Society, having 
66 A buffalo skull showing traces of red paint was found by the writer on the site of a 
Sioux sun dance held in 1882. It is interesting to note the persistence of the native 
vermilion, though exposed to the severity of the weather in that region. (Bull, 61, 
Bur, Amer, Ethn., p. 93.) 
