FIFTH REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I908 



7* 



5 Xo one but members may engage in its ceremonies. 



6 A person may become a member by dreaming it necessary or 

 by asking for its services. 



7 Its membership is divided into two classes, the first, consisting: 

 of members belonging to the phratry of four greater clans and the 

 second, of those belonging to the five lesser clans. 



8 In its ceremonies, special costumes are worn and fans made 

 of feathers held in the hand of each of the four dancers. 



9 The Bird Society rattle is a small one made of a dried gourde 

 into which a dozen or so kernels of corn have been inclosed, and 

 fitted with a wooden handle. Small bark rattles are used patterned 

 after the bark false-face rattles. 



10 In its public ceremonies each class of members is represented 

 by two dancers, and two speakers. 



11 The dancers dance in a squatting position. 



12 During the ceremony any speaker desiring to make a speech 

 strikes a striped pole held by the pole keeper and immediately the 

 song, rattles, and dancers become silent. After a speech the speaker 

 presents the dancers with a gift of bread or any other thing of 

 which birds are fond. 



13 Each speaker in his address upholds the clans which he repre- 

 sents and derides the others until the closing draws near when eacrt 

 apologizes for his derogatory remarks and begs to be pardoned, 



14 In its private sessions the members feast on a boar's head. 



15 Public ceremony of the Bird Society has only recently been 

 the custom. 



le'dos O-'d'-no, or Society of Mystic Animals 



1 The ritual of this society consists of several score of songs 

 and several dances. 



2 The society is said to have been introduced among the Senecas 

 by the western Iroquois-speaking people. 



3 The principal ceremonies are: 



a Gai-iiC me"' o'go-wa 

 b Ga-ha-di-ya" go 11 

 c Gai'-do 



4 While chanting the rituals rattles of dried gourds are used 

 exclusively for keeping time. 



5 During the (b) and (c) ceremonies, mentioned above, only 

 one member sings at a time. 



6 The Ic'-dos is regarded as a strictly secret organization. 



