BL'SSELL] 



MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 



167 



the second section." As there are but three fln<;er holes the range 

 of notes is not great and they are very low and plaintive. 



These instruments are usually ornamented with geometric designs 

 having no symbolic significance at the present time among the Pimas. 

 A bit of cloth or ribbon is sometimes attached to the middle of the flute, 

 as in specimen c, figure SO.' 



DRUM 



Any shallow basket of suflTicient size, such as are in common use 

 in every household for containing grain or prepared food, may be 

 transformed into a drum by simply turning it bottom up and beating 

 it with the hands. In accompanying 

 certain songs it is struck with a stick 

 in rapid glancing blows. 



SCRAPING STICK 



The notched or scraping stick is in 

 very general use to carry the rhythm 

 during the singing of ceremonial songs. 

 When one end of the stick is laid on 

 an overturned basket and another 

 stick or a deer's scapula is drawn 

 quickly over the notches the result- 

 ing sound from this compomid instru- 

 ment of percussion may be compared 

 with that of the snare drum. How- 

 ever, it is usually held in the hand and 

 rasped with a small stick kept for 

 the purpose. So important are these 

 instruments in Pima rain ceremonies that they are usually spoken of 

 as "rain sticks." 



There are four scraping sticks in the collection. One of these 

 (fig. 81, a), is smoothly cut, tapering, and evidently very old. The 

 wood has not been identified, though it resembles ironwood. There 

 are six small notches at the side of the handle, possibly fulfilling 

 some mnemonic purpose. At the base of the series of notches is a 

 broad X; there is another at the middle, and evidences of a third 

 appear at the tip, which is broken away. There are 36 deep transverse 



o"The prinoiplo of its construction is lielieved to lie diltorent from any knomi among other trilies or 

 nations. These instruments are common vdth the Coco-Maricopas, and Yumas or Cuchiians, and 

 among the tril>es on the Colorado. Young men serenade their female friends with them." A\'hlpple, 

 Pae. n. R. Rep., n, .52. 



i> I.ength ol flute n (ng.S0).3ii4mm.: diameter, 22 mm.; 6, length, 518 mm,; diameter, 23 nmi.; f, length, 

 512 mm.; diameter, 22 mm. Flute r has an old pale yellow necktie tied around the middle as an orna- 

 ment and to direct the air paat the diaphragm. 



b c d e f 



Fig. SI. Scraping sticks. 



