414 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [ETH, ANN. 38 
1912, part 1, p. 41). The Chayma, a Carib stock west (and east) 
of the Orinoco, were in the habit of blackening the teeth from the 
age of 15 with the juices of certain herbs and caustic ime (AVH, 
1, 302). 
503. The perforation of the lower lip seems to have been common 
to many members of both sexes of the Carib stock of Guianese In- 
dians, but was not universal. Among the Barama River Carib the 
operation is performed with a porcupine quill or needle by the 
grandmother when the child begins to crawl. A piece of wood is 
then inserted, and occasionally twisted round and round, until the 
healing process is effected. Though met with among several Carib 
tribes in Cayenne (e. g., Galibi, Emerillon), Crévaux did not observe 
it among the Roucouyenne (Cr, 115). It was certainly practiced by 
Wapishana, an Arawak stock, in both sexes (Cou, 1, 315; SR, 11,380). 
The aperture may vary from half an inch in diameter to an opening 
just large enough to comfortably admit one or two pins. Occasionally, 
in the latter cases, there may be more than one perforation. Ban- 
croft writes how all the Akawai are distinguished by a circular hole, 
about one-half inch in diameter, made in the lower part of the under 
lip in which is inserted a piece of wood, of equal size with the hole, 
which is cut off externally almost even with the circumjacent skin, 
while the inner end presses against the roots of the fore teeth (BA, 
266). In Brett’s day, some 80 years later, the ornament was seldom 
to be seen (Br, 140). With Carib women generally, fishbones (WJ, 
82-83), thorns, or other similar substances (Br, 121), with the points 
outward, were worn in these lip openings, before they procured 
pins. Males of the same stock, e. g., Makusi (SR, 1, 358), Arekuna 
(BW, 245; SR, 11, 208; ScF, 204) wore similar articles, while certain 
of them, e. g., Akawai (BB, 64), Makusi, Patamona, sported a pe- 
culiar cone or bell shaped ornament made of white bone or shell with 
streamers of tasseled cotton, etc., hanging over the chin (pl.135 A,B). 
These “ bells,’ however, were also worn by Wapishana (SR, u, 42). 
They are cut from the naturally pierced mammillary prominences 
on the large conch shells found on the islands, and it would be inter- 
esting to learn how and by what routes they are brought to these far 
inland parts. The Makusi speak of the finished ornament as ébita. 
The deftness with which the pins can be placed in position is re- 
markable. A woman will stick one in her mouth, and in a second, 
only with the help of the tongue, it is inserted in the opening (WJ, 
82-83). From the fact that both sexes employed spines, thorns, 
pins, ete., in this manner, it is very unlikely, as has been more than 
once suggested, that it served as a defense for the female against 
undesired amatory advances. [Note.——The male Mura of the lower 
Amazon had both lips pierced. They used to formerly wear tusks 
