MURDOCH. | NETTING NEEDLES. 313 
handle of the stick, relieve the fingers of the right hand, which goes on 
to make the knot in the usual manner.’ 
We collected thirteen needles of different patterns and sizes. No. 
56570 [101], Fig. 315, has been selected as the type (/nmuywint, mi’ kutin. ) 
It is of walrus ivory, 11-9 inches long. The small hole near the tip of 
one prong is for a lanyard to hang it up by when not in use. This 
needle could be used only for making a large meshed net, perhaps a 
seal net. 
We collected seven needles of almost the same pattern as this, varying 
a little in proportions. The faces are usually more deeply hollowed out 
and the ends usually sinuate instead of being straight. Three of these 
are of reindeer antler and the rest of ivory. The longest is 9-9 inches 
long and the shortest 44. This needle (No. 56574 [24], from Utkiavwin) 
is rather broad in proportion, being nearly 1 inch wide. It is of walrus 
ivory. No. 89433 [942] is better suited for netting a small mesh, being 
only 0-7 inch broad at the widest part. It is made of reindeer antler and 
Fic. 317. Netting needles. 
is 7°3 inches long. These needles sometimes have a small hole through 
one end of the body for fastening the end of the twine, and most have 
some arrangement for fastening on a lanyard, either a hole as in the type 
or a groove round the tip of one prong as in No. 56574 [24]. 
No. 89427 [1283], from Utkiaywii, is a needle of a slightly different 
pattern, being rather thick and not narrowed at the middle. Itis of rein- 
deer antler, 8-7 inches long and 1 wide. No. 89430 [1286], Fig. 317a, from 
Utkiavwin, is a very broad needle, with short body and long prongs, one 
of which is expanded at the tip and perforated for a lanyard. It is a 
piece of the outside hard tissue of a reindeer antler, 5-4 inches long and 
1:2 broad. It is but slightly narrowed at the middle, while No. 8942 
[1381], Fig. 317), from Utkiavwit, a somewhat similar broad needle of 
the same material is deeply notched on each side of the body. This is 
made from antler of smaller diameter than the preceding, and conse- 
1 We had no special opport unities for watching the natives at work netting, as but few nets hap- 
pened to be made at the village during our stay. It was, however, observed that the mesh stick was 
taken out every time a knot was tied. Since my return, after a careful study of the different mesh 
sticks in our collection. I haye convinced myself by experiment that the above method of using the 
tool is the only one which will account for the shape of the different parts. 
