l6 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XVIII, 



A woman nursing a child does not drink coffee because it 

 bums or cooks the milk. She may not go into the heat of 

 the sun, or work near the fire. She covers her breast and 

 sometimes her back as thickly as she can from the heat. If a 

 mother dies, an old woman takes the infant to another woman 

 who is already nursing a child. This is advantageous to the 

 woman, as it prevents her surplus milk from becoming bad. 

 For this reason pups are sometimes applied to the breast. 

 Early in the morning a man sometimes drains a woman's 

 breast, spitting the milk on the ground; or a child some years 

 weaned drinks from her. This is done that her infant may 

 have the newly formed milk. 



If a man is married, his sister may want to make a cradle 

 for his child. She provides food for a number of old people, 

 shows them her materials, and asks how she is to make the 

 cradle. The old people tell her how to make it, and show her 

 the designs with which it is to be decorated. Then they all 

 pray in turn that the child's cradle may be made perfectly, 

 and that it may be for the good of the child. After the 

 woman has finished the cradle, she repeats her invitation to 

 the old people. Then the child is put into the cradle and 

 taken to its father. He receives it, and makes a gift to the 

 maker. 



Cradles are embroidered with porcupine-quills or beads. 

 They are used for carrying the child. Some can also be sus- 

 pended on ropes from two tent-poles, and swung. Several are 

 described on p. 66. 



When a person dies, his relatives cry and unbraid their hair. 

 Sometimes they cut their hair. The greater their love for 

 him, the more hair they cut off. Women tear off a sleeve; 

 they gash themselves (lightly) across the lower and upper 

 arm and below the knee. The dead body is allowed to lie so 

 that all the dead person's friends can see it. It is dressed in 

 the best clothing, some perhaps being contributed by friends. 

 Those who thus contribute toward dressing a dead man re- 

 ceive one of his horses or other property. A horse is also 

 given for digging the grave and for similar assistance. The 

 body is buried on the hills, being taken there on horseback. 



