580 EEPORT — 1892. 



I might here add a note on bird-cries. The Kootenays claim to 

 interpret the following : — 



Owl says : Icd'tskdld'tl pd'tlke ; or, ktse'tlJcenetl pd'tlke. 



The bird called yi'kitsnd calls out: iske'tlo kd'ndqyil'qQd=' no more 

 buckskin horses.' 



The tomtit says : tlo'matyet ! tlo'inaiyet ! = ' spring ! spring ! (No 

 more snow ! no more snow !).' The Indians like this bird very much. 



The robin says : okwd'nukte'tlamtcl'yd ! = ' by-and-by plenty of rain ! ' 



SIGN LANGUAGE. 



Sign language is still in use to a considerable extent amongst the 

 Upper and Lower Kootenays. The writer was able to obtain the 

 following, known to members of both tribes : — 



1. Across. — Same as first sign, described under ' Across,' in Clark's 

 'Indian Sign Language ' (1885), p. 24. 



2. Afraid. — Hands extended in front of body, back of hand outwards, 

 index finger extended, rest of hand closed ; the hands, which approach 

 quite close to each other, are withdrawn with a downward movement to 

 a distance, and in a degree corresponding to the fear to be expressed (see 

 Clark, p. 25). 



3. All. — Right hand held in front of breast, palm downwards, moved 

 ai'ound horizontally. Same as Shushwap sign for ' all ' (see * Report,' 

 1890, p. 039). 



4. Angry. — Right hand closed, moved rapidly before and close to 

 forehead, keeping back of hand always to right {see Clark, p. 31). 



5. Axe. — Left forearm extended in front of left side of body, hand 

 bent at wrist and fingers inclined downwards ; then right hand witli 

 thumb and forefinger (rest of hand generally closed) seizes left hand just 

 above wrist (see Clark, p. 56). Downward motion of hand to imitate 

 chopping. 



6. Bad. — Same as sign described by Clark, p. 58, except that the 

 downward motion is not very marked. 



7. Bark. — Index of left hand held up stifSy, rest of hand closed or 

 fingers drooping ; right hand, limp, is then passed around index finger of 

 left. The idea is ' stick-around ' (see Clark, under ' Grass ' and ' Tree,' 

 pp. 192, 383). 



8. Basket. — Elbows resting against sides of body, bring points of 

 fingers together, so as to form rude half-circle (see Clark, under ' Kettle,' 

 p. 227; 'Basket,' p. 62). 



9. Beads. — Bring right forearm horizontally in front of body above 

 breast, thumb touching index near the end of the latter ; pass hand to and 

 fro across neck, other fingers drooping. Compare Clark, p. 63. 



10. Bear {Grizzly). — Close the hands (or sometimes let the fingers 

 droop) and hold them close to side of head, near ears, with backs towards 

 head. Sometimes the hands are shaken or moved about slightly, to 

 indicate better the 'ears,' which are the basis of the sign. Clark says a 

 similar sign is used by the Crows (p. 63). 



11. Bear {Black). — Same sign as for grizzly bear, with the addition of 

 raising hands, with thumb and index placed together, to the level of the 

 eyes, and pointing to the outer corners of the latter. The conception 

 ' small eyes ' is at the base of this sign. 



12. Beaver. — Same as Shushwap sign described by Dr. Boas in 



