Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/635

 Record of A merica n Folk-L ore. 287

nouns and other words contained therein. Among these the follow- ing may be cited: cotton {scraksuoi) is literally "grass flower;" wolf {to n si suri-e), " wild dog ; " panther (ncpe'-tusc-hdpre), " some-being- tail-long ; " tear {it yd), "eye water;" gunpowder ipuhi hiu), "dust of gun ; " finger {iksa itchd), " of the arm its end." The color-names also ought to be noted.

Tarascan. The Tarascans, who live chiefly in the State of Mi- choacan, their houses, pottery, canoes, dress, lacquer- work, etc., are discussed by Professor Starr (pp. 9-13). An interesting point brought out by the author is the notable localization of Tarascan industries. In matters of dress the rebosos of Parracho are famous. The women's belts are admirably woven and worked with wonderful patterns in bird, animal, and human figures. Men make and mend the nets ; women make the celebrated lacquer-work of Umapan. Women and men paddle, and " when several paddlers move together, excellent stroke is observed." In ancient times the Tarascans were renowned for feather-work. The Otomis of Hidalgo and Pueblo are treated of at pages 81-83, where their paper-making and the use of bark-paper in witchcraft are described.

Totonacan. The Totonacs (pp. 86-88 of Professor Starr's paper) of the States of Puebla and Vera Cruz are classed by Brinton as an independent stock ; other authors (Professor Starr favors this view) ally them by speech with the Huastecans of the Maya family. Houses and dress are briefly noted ; also festivals, a detailed account of the Costtanbrc at Santa Maria being given. Among other things of interest at Santa Maria is "the santocalli (saints' house) as they call their wretched little church, where the old woman (leader of the Costiimbrc) and her assistants, male and female, conduct curious pagan rites before the Virgin and Senor San Jose with prayers, some of which are Latin and others Totonaco. — Tcpcliua. For the Tepe- huas of Vera Cruz, Hidalgo, and Puebla, whom some of the best authorities class with the Uto-Aztecan linguistic family, Professor Starr (pp. 83-86) suggests a relationship with the Totonacs, in so far as speech is concerned. Dress, night fishing, dancing, superstition are briefly touched upon. Recently these Indians, with havoc as the result, "have learned to explode dynamite in fishy waters." An interesting " snake dance " occurs here. Idols are still venerated and figure in semi-religious ceremonials, rain-making, etc.

Uto-Aztecan. Professor Frederick Starr's " Notes upon the Ethnography of Southern Mexico" (pp. 98), reprinted from vol. viii. (1900) of the "Proceedings of Davenport Academy of Natural Sci- ences," contains a mass of new and valuable information obtained by the author during his visits to Mexico in 1898, 1899, and 1900. Professor Starr visited sixteen or seventeen tribes, and made good

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