MURDOCH. } MESH STICKS. 315 
The mesh stick (ki/brin) belonging to the large netting needle, No. 
56581 [102], may be taken as the type of this implement. It is a piece 
of the hard outside tissue of a reindeer antler. The three notches on 
the lower edge of the haft are for the fingers. The incised line along one 
face of the blade is probably a mark to which the twine is to be drawn 
in making a mesh. The blade is just the proper length, 74 inches, for 
the large mesh of the seal net. The remaining four mesh sticks are all 
small, and intended for making fish nets. Three are of reindeer antler 
and the fourth of hard bone, with a wooden haft. 
Fig. 320a (No. 89436 [1284], from Utkiaywin) is of antler, 7-2 inches 
long, with a blade of 2-7 inches, protected from splitting by a stout 
round peg of hard bone, driven through the handle so as to lie against 
the heel of the blade. It terminates in a blunt point instead of a hook, 
and has three finger notches in the haft. No. 89437 [942], also from 
Utkiavwin, is of the same material, 5-2 inches long, without a hook and 
with a blade only 1 inch long. There are two finger notches in the haft, 
The last of the antler mesh sticks (No. 89439 [983], from Utkiavwin, 
Fig. 320)) is double ended, having a hook and a short blade at each end. 
The blades are respectively 1°5 and 1:6 inches long, and the total length 
is 6:6 inches. Fig. 320c¢ (No. 89435 [1019], also from Utkiavwin) has a 
blade, with a small hook, of white compact bone, and what would be 
the handle lashed to one side of a haft of soft wood, which is shouldered 
to receive it. The haft is 43 inches long, and the two parts are held 
together by two lashings of fine sinew, kept from slipping by notches. 
The total length is 7:3 inches, that of the blade 2-7. Netting needles 
and mesh sticks of essentially the same type as those just described, but 
varying in material and dimensions, are in general use from the Ander- 
son River to Bristol Bay, as is shown by the Museum collections. 
Netting weights.—W e collected 16 little ivory implements, each, when 
complete, consisting of the image of a fish about 34 to 4 inches long, 
suspended by a string about 4 inches long to a little ivory spring hook. 
We never happened to see these implements in use, but we were told 
that they were used in netting to keep the meshes in proper shape. 
They generally were made in pairs. The only way of using them that 
I can think of is first to hook one into the bight of the first mesh made 
in starting the net. This would make the successive meshes, as they 
were netted, hang down out of the way. On starting the next row in 
the opposite direction, the second weight hooked into the first mesh of 
this row would draw the successive meshes down on the left-hand side 
of the stick, while the other weight would keep the meshes of the first 
row stretched so that one could be easily caught at a time. On begin- 
ning the third row the first weight would be transferred to the first 
mesh of this, and so on. Fig. 321@ is one of a pair of these népitaira 
(No. 56596 [207|) which has been selected as the type. It is a rather 
rude figure of a salmon or trout 4 inches long, neatly carved out of walrus 
ivory. The string is of braided sinew and the hook of walrus ivory. 
