Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 1.djvu/83

66 of the southern region are best distinguished by their feathering. In the Guiana foreshafted arrow there are two short half-feathers bound to the shaft with seizings of fine thread. This is also the region of the blow-tube and curari poison.

13. Cordilleran arrow. Where the arrow exists in this region the feathering resembles that of the next group.

14. Upper Amazon arrow. Two feathers attached to the shaftment with black cement and held in place by a spiral winding of thread.

15. Eastern Brazilian arrow. Two whole feathers fastened by their ends with thread or bast frequently laid on in patterns.

16. Mato Grosso arrow. Great confusion of arrows of different types.

17. Argentina arrow. Two feathers wrapped and cemented.

18. Fuegian arrow. Diminutive arrow with very short feathering and delicate point.

The blow-tube is a tropical invention confined to areas where the cane abounds and also where bows and arrows are not serviceable weapons. The two areas of its full development are South America and Malaysia. The weapon consists of a straight tube of cane and a short arrow; at the base of the latter wadding is wrapped. Frequently the points of the little darts are poisoned.

The weapon of the western continent is somewhat better adapted to wooded regions where abound monkeys and birds of beautiful plumage. It is found sparingly in southern United States. The Chetimacha of Louisiana used a compound weapon in which four or more tubes were lashed together as in a pan- pipe.

In Venezuela, Guiana, and eastern Brazil abound the zarabatana (also called gravatana) and pucuna. They are mentioned by E. F. im Thurn, Schomburgk, Wallace, Simpson, and Bates. The Caribs insert a tube of palm wood into a stem of Arundinaria schomburgkii.