Page:The Pima Indians.pdf/172

] the second section. As there are but three finger holes the range of notes is not great and they are very low and plaintive.

These instruments are usually ornamented with geometric designs having no symbolic significance at the present time among the Pimas. A bit of cloth or ribbon is sometimes attached to the middle of the flute, as in specimen c, figure 80.

Any shallow basket of sufficient size, such as are in common use in every household for containing grain or prepared food, may be transformed into a drum by simply turning it bottom up and beating it with the hands. In accompanying certain songs it is struck with a stick in rapid glancing blows.

The notched or scraping stick is in very general use to carry the rhythm during the singing of ceremonial songs. When one end of the stick is laid on an overturned basket and another stick or a deer's scapula is drawn quickly over the notches the resulting sound from this compound instrument of percussion may be compared with that of the snare drum. However, it is usually held in the hand and rasped with a small stick kept for the purpose. So important are these instruments in Pima rain ceremonies that they are usually spoken of as "rain sticks."

There are four scraping sticks in the collection. One of these (fig. 81, a), is smoothly cut, tapering, and evidently very old. The wood has not been identified, though it resembles ironwood. There are six small notches at the side of the handle, possibly fulfilling some mnemonic purpose. At the base of the series of notches is a broad X; there is another at the middle, and evidences of a third appear at the tip, which is broken away. There are 36 deep transverse