OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. XXXIII 



chance carried in his hand, especially if the animal represented 

 is one of the smaller species. But perhaps the most common 

 method is found in the use of the skin of the animal for a 

 head-dress. The Director has seen a duck's skin with head 

 and neck stuffed and tail supported by a slight wooden frame 

 used as a head-dress on such an occasion, as well as many 

 other birds' skins thus used. He has often seen the skin from 

 the head of a wolf or a wildcat used in like manner. Very 

 many Indian tribes use the skin from the head of the deer or 

 the mountain sheep, with horns preserved in place and ears 

 erect. Such costuming is very common, and constitutes a part 

 of the dramatic customs of savagery. 



There is yet another origin for the dramatic costumes often 

 appearing among the Indians. A clan having an animal totem 

 may use the skin of the animal as its badge. Sometimes feath- 

 ers from the bird totem, or the tail of the mammal totem, or 

 the carapace of the turtle totem is used. These totemic badges 

 are very largely used on festival occasions, and mark the play- 

 ers in games when clan contests with clan. 



It has hence been suggested that masking had its origin in 

 the drama; and it must be understood that the drama in sav- 

 agery is largely mythic and religious. 



Mr. Dall provides an excellent classification of the objects of 

 his study into masks, maskettes, and maskoids, noting under 

 each head the several uses to which each form in the evolu- 

 tionary series has been applied. He then explains their ob- 

 served distribution in the following geographical order, viz: 



1. North Papuan Archipelago. 



2. Peru. 



3. Central America and Mexico. 



4. New Mexico and Arizona. 



5. The region occupied by Indians from Oregon to the 

 northern limit of the Thlinkit. 



6. The Aleutian Islands. 



7. The Eskimauan region from Prince William Sound to 

 Point Barrow. 



Similar geographic relations are found in connection with 

 the practice of labretifery. The labret, among American abo- 

 3 eth III 



