498 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [ETH, ANN. 33 
River) I have come across clay rattles, in the shape of turtles, as 
children’s toys. The rattle (maraka) made out of a calabash is 
rather an adult’s musical instrument for use at the dances (sec. 573). 
A substitute for a baby rattle is found in the emptied crab claws 
threaded on a string by the Pomeroon district Arawak and Warrau. 
621. Leaf-strand figures—In the course of manufacture of a bas- 
ket, a fan, a matapi, or some other such article it often happens that 
a strip or two of itiriti strand, pimpler palm, or kokerit pinnule, 
etc., will be left over and discarded. But very generally these trim- 
mings will be picked up by the chil- 
dren, and either by them or by the 
weaver worked up into some fancy 
toy or plaything. With the midrib 
and half the pinnule retained, the 
Arawak and others will construct the 
figure sketched in figure 241 C. The 
toy represented in figure 242 A is 
made from astrocaryum leaf, but with 
the whole pinnule and midrib utilized. 
Tt can also be made in similar fashion 
from kokerit (fig. 241 A) with the 
midrib finally passed back again 
through the successive loops and its 
distal extremity pulled upon. This 
movement will cause a bend and twist 
in the article, which thus comes to 
point in some unexpected direction 
where, so the Wapishana say, the ma- 
nipulator’s sweetheart is. Certain of 
the figures can be used as house decor- 
Fic. 243.—Leaf-strand figures. 4, ationsor ornaments (sec. 326). Some- 
Clouds; B, a lamp; C, a rattle. 3 os 
times the toy or ornament may be in 
the form of a spiral around the midrib (fig. 241 D), or may help to 
support it in the manner of a column or pillars (fig. 248 B). Without 
the midrib many an Indian can make figures representing a rattle (C), 
a series of clouds (A), a pile of cassava cakes (fig. 242 B), a four-ply 
open plait with astrocaryum (fig. 244 A), or a close one with the 
kokerit (B) identical with the plait used in the parishara dances (sec. 
589). Play boxes can also be constructed (sec. 887). A Makusi made 
the six-celled contrivance (fig. 242 C) for holding gru-gru worms 
(sec. 178), as he alleged. With remnants of itiriti strand one can con- 
struct a ball (fig. 241 B),a hassa fish (EF), a catcher (F,G; sec. 617), 
and a jumping flea (fig. 244 C). This last one is made of three strips 
