DEIFIED ANIMALS. ci 



these curious song lines; the loou (tApUil) is noticed there for l^eing the 

 best diving bird of these upland waters; the yellow-hammer, or tchd-ush, a 

 woodpecker, for its beautiful red plumage ; the kiliwash, another woodpecker, 

 for its precious scalp. The ducks are well remembered in these songs on 

 account of their ubiquity, their numerous species, the elegance of their 

 exterior. Birds renowned for their influence upon the weather are the 

 wi'huash and the tsiutsiwiish, who can produce snow-fall; the ka'ls or 

 kal^alsh, who possesses the power of making fogs (166; 22. 23). 



The amphibians, insects and the organisms standing below these in the 

 zoogenetic scale, are also reputed to possess magic powers; the songs of the 

 toad and of the spider are supposed to be especially effective. That the 

 plants did not impress the mental capacity of these Indians to such a point 

 as to make them objects of reverence can not be wondered at, as the mind of 

 the Indian in cold climates is not turned in this direction Plants in which 

 the Klamaths were interested are all mentioned, p. 180; 19, and the pond-lil}-, 

 with its seeds, stands at the head of them. Even among the totem naiTies 

 of Eastern tribes only a few plant names are represented, maize being the 

 most frequent among these; but in tropical countries, with their luxuriant 

 vegetal growth, many trees, bushes, and stalks become objects of worship, 

 like the copal and the ceiba tree of Central America. 



The deified animals of Klamath mythology are all capable of assum- 

 ing the predicate amtchiksh, abbr. -amtch, -amts primeval, of which mention 

 has been made previously, and many also appear collectively, as Jirc (or fen) 

 brothers or Jire sisters, sometimes with their old parents (titchka-aga). 

 This is the case onlv with gregarious animals, and also applies to the Thim- 

 ders. Many of the larger quadrupeds appear constantly with tivo young 

 only. 



The personified animals which I'eceive the most frequent attention in 

 Klamath Lake and Modoc myths are the marten, the weasel and the prairie- 

 wolf or coyote. 



Marten or Ske'l, Ske'lamtch always appears in connection with Weasel 

 or Tchashkai. Weasel is reputed to be the young-er brother (tapiap) 

 of Ske'l and acts as his servant and errand-bov. In the execution of the 

 dangerous errands he is intrusted with, Weasel is often killed, and Ske'l 



