M. R. HARRINGTON — SACRED BUNDLES OF THE SAC AND FOX INDIANS. 205

as to its use, but the most intrinsically probable is, that the thong was placed in the bundle for binding captives, not so much for actual use, perhaps, as for a charm to insure by magic the capture of numerous prisoners and horses. This is particularly plausible in view of the similar use of thongs and ropes in other bundles. Another story related that the thong had been tied on the head as an amulet, which seems improbable in view of its weight; while still another stated that it had been used for carrying home the wounded.
Skin of a small bird, apparently a species of swallow, the plumage of the back being 9 . metallic blue. This was swathed in faded yellow ribbon and provided with a buck- skin thong (PI. XXXIII, C), by which it could be suspended from the woven neck band wrapped around, but not attached to the bird skin. This band, apparently of buffalo wool yam, was 14" long, exclusive of fringe, and wide, and was deco- rated with two rows of old large white trade beads running down the middle, with similar beads on the fringe, and forming an edging on one side. Between the fringe and the bead work at both ends was a short bare strip, where it was seen that the band had been striped, half red and half yellow.
Another woven band 3' 1" long and 1*" wide, in brown, yellow and red, resembles native work to a certain extent, but the character of the weave causes me to class it as doubt- ful. It serves as a belt for a buffalo tail amulet, now nearly bare of hair, once worn hanging at the back. The tail was provided with a little buckskin medicine packet and a medicine package covered with bladder, flat, and measuring 3£" x If" tied to the proximal end.
Two other buffalo tail amulets, with nine medicine packets apiece, and five more, two of them entirely bare of hair, with no packets at all.
Cane war whistle.
Wampum bead.
Two bits of greenish stone.
Package containing three bits of similar stone.
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206 UNIVERSITY MUSEUM — ANTHROPOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS VOL. IV.
Two pieces of cane used as material for whistle reeds.
Brass jingler.
Section of buckskin thong wrapped in porcupine quills.
Piece dry buffalo meat, hide still attached.
Package cedar leaves.
Package yellowish scales.
Package roots.
Five eagle down feathers dyed red.
Empty cloth package.
Pieces of fawn skin amulet covers.
Aveline Givens, the Sac and Fox Indian from whom the following large and complex bundle was purchased, claimed that it was of Kickapoo origin; 1 but the evidence con- necting it with the Kickapoo is not satisfactory or con- clusive to my mind. I have presented it here as the final war bundle in our Sac and Fox series. It will be seen, however, that it differs considerably from the average Sac and Fox war bundle. It is:
Bundle 2/8452.
Size closed, about 21" x 8". Cover, of buckskin, so badly rotted that the bundle had to be wrapped in coarse sheeting. Ties, of buckskin and buffalo hide, beneath which were two unusually long cane war whistles (21 £").
Contents. — Buffalo hide head band with horns attached (PI. XXX, A) — a fine one and the only amulet of consequence in the bundle. The hide has been taken from the animal’s head (the matted wool is still fairly well preserved) and has been folded lengthwise in such a way that there is wool both inside and outside, and the band is about 2" wide. The horn on the wearer’s left has been smeared with red paint, the other remaining black. At the top of the band in front, loosely attached are three eagle feathers, the middle one dyed red
1 1 beard later that the bundle is really of Sac and Fox origin.
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