550 THE ZUNI INDTANS [eth. anx. 23 



placed in the bowl containing the medicine of the Bear of the West. 

 If anj- of the medicine falls from the slab during the grinding, one of 

 the warriors hastens to replace it with an ancient stone knife. Occa- 

 sionally during the grinding the attendants run stone knives over the 

 mills crosswise, to loosen the material from the stone. Each set of 

 o-rinders. who work about thirty minutes, is assisted to rise by the 

 two warriors, who stand before the mills and extend two eagle-wing 

 plumes. The women, touching the tips of the plumes held by the 

 warriors with each hand, pass from behind the mills at the east end. 

 When the grinding is completed for the day the warriors place the 

 bowls of medicine and stone knives by the altar. The grinders gather 

 a short distance east of the mills and are relieved by young men of 

 some of their adornments, including the finger rings. The elaborate 

 necklaces and earrings are not removed. The red garters are taken 

 from the hair, allowing it to fall loosely over the shoulders, but the 

 plumes are allowed to remain. The women step aside and change the 

 white embroidered robe for the ordinar}' Zuni dress and take seats 

 upon the ledge on the south side of the room. The mills are removed 

 while the dress is being changed. 



The last five grinders advance to the middle of the room and form 

 into two lines, extending east and west, lengthwise of the room, two 

 women in the south line, three in the north, and a man forming a 

 center line between the two. Each woman holds two eagle- wing plumes 

 horizontally in the right hand." One of the plumes has a flufiy eagle 

 feather attached to its tip. The woman wearing the feather colored 

 red has one of the same color attached to her eagle plume, feathers of 

 this color being worn by members of the order of Mystery medicine. 

 The upper arms are extended horizontally and the forearms perpen- 

 dicularly. The lines begin dancing from east to west, all facing south; 

 at the west end of the room they simultaneousl}^ turn, facing north, 

 and dance sidewise to the east. These variations are continued through- 

 out the dance. The two grinders in the south line are soon joined by 

 a third woman, and the man in the middle by the elder brother Bow 

 priest. The two men wear the black breechcloth, supported b}- a silver 

 belt, the ends of which are embroidered in dark blue, and fall so as to 

 form a kind of short skirt. The 5'oung man has a band of yucca 

 around his hair, which is parted in the middle and done up in the usual 

 knot in the back; the elder brother Bow priest has a llutfy eagle plume 

 colored red tied to his forelock. He also wears his war pouch. Both 

 men are adorned with man}^ necklaces. 



Every little while the elder brother Bow priest leaves his position in 

 the dance, and approaching the choir and the group of women throws 

 his body forward, growling and gesticulating like a bear; again he 



a 111 the night ceremony the plumes were held in the left hand. 



