Page:String Figures and How to Make Them.djvu/153

120 Seventh: Release the loops from the thumbs and separate the hands, when it will be observed that the middle and little fingers of each hand, "the dogs," are leashed by loops to two central straight strings (Fig. 267).

The transfer of a loop from a finger to the wrist, or around the backs of the four fingers, of the same hand is quite a common movement in string figures. In the "Apache Door" we saw a very simple method of changing a finger loop to the wrist, and now, in the second movement of this figure, we have a neat method of putting the thumb loop on the back of the four fingers. A similar movement occurs in the Caroline Islands "Coral" and in the Navaho "Man."

On examining more closely the "Leashing of Lochiel's Dogs," one cannot fail to be struck by the rather crude way in which many of the movements are carried out; except in the Fifth movement, there appears to be lacking that expert use of both hands at the same time which characterizes the figures made by savage

races. It is interesting to observe that Dr. Haddon's description of the Cherokee "Crow's Feet" differs from our description of the British figure; his description, in my own words, is as follows:

First: Opening A; but the palmar strings are taken up with the middle fingers instead of with the index fingers.

Second: Close together the four fingers of each hand, and insert them from above into the thumb loop, then take this loop off the thumb; thus turning it over in the transfer. Separate the hands.

Third: Pass each thumb into the middle finger loop from below, then withdraw the middle finger and return the thumb to its position, thereby transferring the middle finger loop to the thumb.

Fourth: Transfer the loop on the back of each hand to its respective middle finger.

Fifth: Pass each near little finger string from below through the middle finger loop and replace it on the far side of the little finger.

Sixth: Transfer each far little finger string over the little finger to the near side of that finger.