1878. ] Anthropology. re 561 
Coyotéro Apaché women who bore the brand of punishment, in- 
flicted for prostitution. As the custom was then but seldom 
practiced, and has probably fallen entirely into disuse by this time, 
it may not be amiss to describe it. In his “ Notes on the ‘Tonto’ 
Apaches,” (Smithsonian Report, 1867, 417-419), Dr. Smart says, 
“he saw women who had the cartilaginous portion of the nose cut 
off, and this was apparent only amongst those who had any preten- 
sions to beauty.’ 
This statement was read at the time of its publication without 
giving it further thought, than that it might be merely a cus- 
tom peculiar to the tribe, for some reason similar, for instance, to 
head-flattening, tatooing, or perhaps to puncturing the lips, or 
ears. But, when upon inquiry I was informed that all those who 
were so disfigured had been guilty of adultery, it appeared strange 
that so severe a punishment should have been in practice, and 
confined to so small an area, as none of the tribes immediately 
surrounding the territory of this sub-tribe of Apachés are known 
ever to have imitated them in this respect. But we find it to 
Arizona. In his allusion to this custom as practiced by the Com- 
manches, Gregg says (Commerce of the Prairies, 1844, II, 308. 
309), “ The husband seems to have complete power over the des- 
tinies of his wife and piete For adultery, his punishment is 
most usually to cut off the nose or ears, or both, and he may even 
take the life of his unfaithful wife with impunity. The squaw who 
has been mutilated for such a cause is, zpso facto, Se and 
it is said forever precluded from marrying again.” In reference 
to this tribe, Bancroft quotes (Vol. I, p. 515, Authors Copy) from 
the “ Revista Cienti ica (L57) ‘Las faltas conjugales no se cas- 
tigan por la primara vez; pero á la segundo el marido corta la 
punta de la nariz a su infiel esposa, y la despida de su lado.” 
Gregg (Ibid. p. 308) also states that “this custom prevails 
among the Creeks to ka prear day, and was anciently prac- 
ticed by other southern nation ‘Among the Miami’s,’ says 
Father Charlevoix, ‘ aid husband has a right to cut off his wife's 
nose if she runs away from him 
Captain Roman’s says that this custom prevailed among the 
Indians inhabiting Florida. (Concise History of East and West 
Florida, 1775, p. 98). Bancroft (II, 466) says that in Itztepec 
(Me exico) “the er a woman’s husband cut off her ears and nose, 
thus branding her as infamous for life.” (Las Casas. Hist. Apol- 
ogética, flix cap. ccxiii ; Mendieta dz sup.). 
“Among the Miztecs, ‘ says Bancroft (I1, 466), “when extenu- 
ating rareta could be proved, the punishment of death 
-Was commuted to mutilation of ears, nose, and lips.” (Herrera, 
Hist. Gen., dec. III, lib, ITI, cap: xii.) oe 
i. This singular punishment extended far down into Central 
America, but among many of the races inhabiting H that country, as 
death was the pena ity. a 
