172^ 



THE SERI INDIANS 



[ETH. AXX. 17 



young warriors is a snake sliin (such as that illnstrated in figure 7); but 

 so far as was seen the belts are not extended into tassels, decorative 

 appendages, or even flowing ends. 



The i)resumptively decorative costuniery observed is limited to neck- 

 laces, usually of strung seeds, shells, ai)d beads of wood or bone (fig- 

 ures 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13). though animal appendages, such as hoofs, 

 teeth, etc, are sometimes worn. The most highly prized necklace found 

 at Costa Rica was a human hair cord with nine crotalus rattles attached 

 (figure 14j, worn by a young warrior of the Eattlesnake (1) clan. Not 

 the slightest indication of head- 

 dresses was seen (though deer 

 and lion masks are said by 

 Hardy to have been worn on 

 occasions) ; there were no brace- 



Fig. 10 — Nut pendants. 



Fig. 11— Shell bead.?. 



Fia. 12— Wooden beads. 



lets, leg-bands, or rings of any description, and the cheap jewelry 

 given to many of the women and youths at Costa Rica was either 

 strung about the neck or concealed; while it is significant that even the 

 showiest jewelry was less appreciated than bits of manta or lumps of 

 sugar. When it is remembered that the Seri have been in occasional 

 contact with Caucasians for over three and a half centuries, the fact 

 that not a single glass bead was found among them becomes signifi- 

 cant; and the significance of the simple fact is increased by the virtual 

 absence of that persistent desire and jirotean use for beads — or bead- 

 sense — so prominent among most primitive tribes. 



