174 
THE NATURALISTS’ (J03IPAN10N. 
A Rain-God in Clay. 
BY EDWIN A. BARBER. 
Nothing can be more gratifying to a 
collector than the occasional discovery 
of a rare or antique specimen which 
must enhance the value of his cabinet 
in his own, and the eyes of his brother 
enthusiasts. 
One evening, in the summer of 1875, 
after camp had been struck and the 
pack animals unloaded, I sallied forth 
amongst the ancient ruins in South-east¬ 
ern Utah, in quest of relics of a long- 
departed people. Amongst the dwarfed 
sage-bush and the crumbling mounds 
which mark the sites of former stone 
houses, I found many a fragment of cu¬ 
riously painted pottery, scores of beauti¬ 
ful arrow-tips of pink, agatized wood 
and of black, translucent obsidian, por¬ 
tions of oddly shaped implements of 
jasper and numberless other objedfs 
which would gladden the heart of the 
most venerable archaeologist. Every 
collector of any experience knows how 
rapidly time flies when he is engaged 
in such fascinating pursuits. Loaded 
down with relics, I suddenly became 
aware that the sun had set behind the 
western canons ; it was rapidly growing 
dark and I was far from camp and the 
supper which was awaiting me. A little 
to the right, however, I see a ruin some¬ 
what larger than any I have thus far 
explored, and in the gathering dusk I 
determine to take one more hasty look 
before turning back. Here, amongst 
thousands of pieces of broken vessels, I 
find, half imbedded in the dust of cen¬ 
turies, a little fragment of rough pottery, 
scarcely more then an inch square, yet 
I see at a glance that it is no ordinary 
piece, but something quite different than 
anything I have thus far met with in my 
explorations. It proves to be the half 
of a narrow-mouthed vessel, on which 
is moulded, in bold relief, the miniature 
figure of a frog. Though rudely execu¬ 
ted, it is lifelike and spirited, and is 
represented in the attitude of climbing 
the side of the jar and peeping over the 
rim. Moulded decorations are exceed¬ 
ingly rare on the oldest Pueblo ware 
and but few examples have been discov¬ 
ered. The frog, we ha.ve reasons for 
believing, figured in the ancient Pueblo 
religion as one of the lesser divinities of 
water, even as it is to-day venerated by 
the Moqiii Indians of Arizona. Through¬ 
out this section of the Southwest rain 
seldom falls and water, which is exceed¬ 
ingly scarce, is valued highly. 
Hastily returning to camp, where I 
found my companions impatiently 
awaiting me, I carefully packed my 
treasures with the valuable collection I 
had already gathered together, for trans¬ 
portion on mule back across the Rocky 
Mountains. The specimen which I have 
described, and which is here figured, 
may now be seen in the archaeological 
collection of the Academy of Natural 
Sciences of Philadelphia. 
'Fhere is no collection so attractive or 
interesting as a collection of bird skins. 
Sunny South Oologist has discontinu¬ 
ed publication. 
With next issue we will have been 
your companion one year. 
