532 GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS _ [2®TH. Ann. 24 
Curyenne. Oklahoma. (Cat. no. 18610, Free Museum of Science 
and Art, University of Pennsylvania.) 
Four phalangeal bones of a deer, perforated, and pierced with lateral 
perforations, and marked with two, three, four, and five red 
painted notches, strung on a thong, with an iron needle attached 
(figure 697). Five loops of blue glass beads are attached to the 
end opposite the needle. 
Collected by Mr George E. Starr. 
Another specimen (cat. no. 18682) in the same collection is iden- 
tical in form with the above, except that the bones have one, two, 
three, and four notches. 
Fig. 697. Nitonisdot; length of implement, 23} inches; Cheyenne Indians, Oklahoma; cat. no. 
18610, Free Museum of Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania. 
Another specimen in the United States National Museum (cat. no. 
165800), collected by Rev. H. R. Voth, is practically identical in its 
details with the preceding. 
—— Oklahoma. (Cat. no. 67487, Field Columbian Museum.) 
Four phalangeal bones of a deer, perforated and pierced and strung 
on beaded cord to which an iron needle is attached. At the other 
end of the cord are loops of strung beads, two pink, three green, 
and one yellow. 
Collected by Rey. H. R. Voth, who describes the game as follows: 
These bones are used by the Arapaho as well as the Cheyenne in a game 
which is sometimes called the love game. The wire bodkin is taken in the 
right hand and pointed horizontally forward. The four bones are then swung 
forward, and the bodkin is dexterously thrust through the perforations of one or 
more of them, each of which represents a certain value. The great aim of the 
player is to catch all the four bones horizontally on the needle at one time. 
Col. Richard Irving Dodge? says: 
The Cheyenne women have another game of which they are passionately fond. 
Small white beads are strung on a sinew, 12 or 14 inches long; at one end are 
fastened in a bunch six loops, about an inch in diameter, of smaller beads simi- 
larly strung. Four polished bones of the bear’s foot are then strung on this 
beaded string, the smaller ends toward the loops. Each of these bones is per- 
forated with sixteen holes in rows of four, and at each end are two or three 
2QOur Wild Indians, p. 331, Ilartford, 1882. 
