cooper] bibliography OF TRIBES OP TIERRA DEL FUEGO 157 



The Alacaluf, too, may have had initiation rites, but our evidence is 

 not very sohd. Labat (Marcel, a, 496; c, 110-111) speaks of seeing a 

 young man in a hut alone, who was chanting and gesticulating. His 

 body was whitened, and his head was adorned with two bird wings. 

 He would not speak, although he was not a mute. Capt. King 

 (314-315) found at Fortescue Bay about 80 natives gathered; one 

 of the huts was closely guarded by a man who was not unlikely a 

 witch-doctor; no one was allowed to enter, and a midsliipman who, 

 after a little coaxing, was permitted to put his head in, received a 

 shower of ashes in his face. The natives' explanation that there was 

 a woman in labor in the hut hardly agrees with the Fuegian delivery 

 customs, nor does it account for the unusually large gathering of In- 

 dians. Large wigwams, similar to the Yahgan initiation Mnas, have 

 been found in Alacaluf an territory (cf. infra, under Shelter). 



Many of the West Patagonian Channel Alacaluf have one or more 

 front teeth missing (Fitz-Roy, a, 197; Coppinger, 49, '4n the male 

 adult there is usually a front tooth missing;" Skottsberg, b, 252; c, 92). 

 Dr. Coppinger adds: ''iVs if knocked out designedly," but Dr. Skotts- 

 berg, who found the teeth missing more frequently among the older 

 folks, the women especially, believed it due to accidents, to chewing 

 tough skms, or to other employment (h, 252; c, 92). 



The foregoing stray data may possibly be taken as indicative of 

 initiation rites among the Alacaluf, but much more definite evidence 

 is required. 



TABOOS 



A. Yahgans. — A girl after her first menstruation observes certain 

 food taboos (Hahn, a, 804). The morning after first bridal inter- 

 course the man bathes in the sea (Bove, a, 794; h, 137; c, 129; d, 

 Arch., 293), else the dogs would die (Lovisato, h, 150), but there is 

 no taboo on marital intercourse during nursing time (Hyades, q, 195). 



The custom of bathing before eating the first guanaco of spring 

 (Cojazzi, 108) has in it an element of taboo and also an element of 

 first-fruits sacrifice, without being clearly either. A person when 

 present is never addressed by his proper name (Dabbene, h, 191). 

 Cf. also Coriat, 206-207. 



B. Alacaluf. — Perhaps the prohibition against shooting ducklings 

 spoken of by Admiral Fitz-Roy (r/, 180; Darwin, a, 1871 ed., 215) 

 is of the nature of a taboo. 



G. Onas. — Certain food taboos are observed, especially by the 

 women and children (C. Gallardo, 174, 229-230; Cojazzi, 26). Accord- 

 ing to Dr. Holmberg (a, 58), after marriage, "los padres" [of the bride 

 cmd groom ?] do not look at the groom if they meet him, but this needs 

 confirmation. The Onas, according to Dr. Dabbene (h, 268), call one 

 another when present by their proper names, but according to Dr. 



