118 MASKS AND LABRETS. 



part of the frame as a cushion for the head, and to raise the peepholes 

 uearer to the eyes. The figure is one-sixth the liuear size of the original- 



2662 (Plate XXI, fig. 47).— Maskette from the northwest coast of 

 America collected by E. Very during the Wilkes Exploring Expedition. 

 The material is birch wood and the mask has been hollowed out by a 

 small gouge probably made from a beaver's tooth. The light places in 

 the figure at the eyes, teeth, spots below the claws, &c, are thin flat 

 pieces of haliotis (H. Kamchatlana. native to the region ) fastened on with 

 spruce gum, mostly with a hole in each piece of shell. The colors are dark 

 brown or black, red and green ; the bare wood shows in a few places. 

 The part of the carving which is behiud the lower figure was applied 

 to the forehead and is hollowed out for that purpose, showing signs of 

 having been worn. The head-dress to which it was attached did not ac- 

 company it. The lower figure in the front is a conventionalized figure 

 of the sparrow hawk, (Tinnunculus sparverius L.); the upper larger one 

 that of the beaver ; a close inspection shows that the apparent beak was 

 intended to represent the two large incisors. The figure which is on a 

 scale of one-fifth linear represents it as more rounded in front than in 

 reality, aud the median line dividing the two incisors, which is quite in- 

 distinct in the original, has been overlooked by the artist. The cancel- 

 lated appendage between the feet is intended to represent the tail of the 

 beaver. 



9259 (Plate XXI, fig 48).— Maskette collected near Sitka by Dr. A. 

 H. Hoff, IT. S. A., for the Army Medical Museum and transferred by that 

 institution to the United States National Museum. The figure is one- 

 iourth as long as the original. The eyes and certain patches visible above 

 the hands and feet are formed of pieces of Haliotis shell cemented with 

 spruce gum. The arms, tongue, aud feet are red. The rest is more or 

 less blackened. The figure above is the otter, with his tongue out ; that 

 below is the frog ; both are familiars of the medicine-men, to one of whom 

 this carviug undoubtedly appertained. The head-dress, of which it 

 originally formed a part did not come to hand. This belonged to some 

 shaiuauic paraphernalia. 



20581 (Plate XX, fig. 46). — Maskette, used with a head covering, col- 

 lected at Fort Simpson, British Columbia, by J. G. Swan for the United 

 States National Museum. The figure is one-fifth thelength of the original. 

 It represents the features of an old woman with her face painted and 

 wearing a labret or kalushka. It is made of spruce wood. The t racery 

 on the front of the cheeks and on the forehead is cobalt blue. The s .ies 

 of the cheeks, the hair-parting, ears, and mouth are red. The hair is 

 black, with some red streaks ; the pupils are black, with a small perfora- 

 tion burned through ; the remainder of the face of the natural color of the 

 ■wood, somewhat darkened by age and use. The eyebrows are of bear- 

 skin, the strips only tacked at the outer ends. To the inner ends threads 

 are attached which pass through four pinholes in the forehead aud 

 through a staple opposite the chin inside. By pulling these threads 



