Throwing-sticks in the National Museum / Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1883-'84, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1890, pages 279-289

Fig. 9. The Port Clarence and Cape Nome type. The notable characteristics are the occurrence of an ivory peg in the handle for the middle finger, the very small size of the handle, and the central index-finger pocket central in position but quite piercing the stick. Collected by E.W. Nelson, at Cape Nome, in 1880. Museum number, 44392.

Fig. 10. Norton Sound type, single-pegged variety. Except in the better finish, this type resembles the one last described. Collected by L.M. Turner, at Saint Michael's Island, in 1876. Museum number, 24338.

Fig. 11. Norton Sound type, two-pegged variety. In all respects, excepting the number of pegs, this resembles Figs. 9 and 10. In all of them the peg at the bottom of the groove is very clumsy. Collected in Norton Sound, by E.W. Nelson, in 1878. Museum number, 32995.

Fig. 12. Throwing-stick from Sabotnisky, on the Lower Yukon. It belongs to the Norton Sound type. The cavity on the upper side of the handle for the finger-tips is remarkable for the carving of a bird resembling figures seen on objects made by the Western Indians of the United States. Collected by E.W. Nelson, at Sabotnisky, in 1879. Museum number, 36013.

Fig. 13. Specimen from Yukon River, belonging to the Northern Sound one-pegged variety. Collected by E.W. Nelson, in 1879. Museum number, 38849.

Fig. 14. Throwing-stick from Saint Michael's. This specimen is very noteworthy on account of the absence of the index-finger pocket, a mark characteristic of the Vancouver type, Fig. 17. If the middle peg of the Vancouver example were removed the resemblance would be close, but the clumsy spur at the bottom of the shaft groove is Norton Sound rather than Nunivak. Collected by Lucien M. Turner, at Saint Michael's, in 1876. Museum number, 24335.

Fig. 15. Nunivak type. The characteristic marks are the absence of any cavity for the index finger, the nicely-fitting handle, the disposition of the finger-pegs, and the delicate point on the ivory spur at the bottom of the shaft groove. Collected by W.H. Dall, at Nunivak Island, in 1874. Museum number, 16239. (This specimen is left-handed.)

Fig. 16. Specimen from Nunivak, right-handed. The cuts on the front and back are noteworthy. Collected by W.H. Dall, at Nunivak Island, in 1874. Museum number, 16238.

Fig. 17. Specimen from Cape Vancouver. In all respects it is like those of Nunivak, excepting a peg-rest for the little finger. Collected by E.W. Nelson, at Cape Vancouver, in 1879. Museum number, 38669.

Figs. 18, 19. Bristol Bay type. In no essential characters do these sticks differ from those of Nunivak. The handle is smaller, and they appear to have been made with steel tools. Fig. 18 collected by C.L. McKay, at Bristol Bay, Alaska, in 1883. Museum number, 72398. Fig. 19 collected by William J. Fisher, at Kadiak, in 1884. Museum number, 90467.

Fig. 20. Unalashkan throwing-stick. It would be better to call this form the Southern type. The noticeable features in all our specimens are the parallel sides, the hard material, thinness, the carving for the fingers, but above all the reappearance of the eccentric cavity for the index finger. This cavity is not a great perforation, as in the Point Barrow type, but an eccentric pocket, a compromise between the Northern cavity and that of the East. Collected by Sylvanus Bailey, at Unalashka, in 1874. Museum number, 16076.

Figs. 21, 22. Throwing-sticks of the Southern type. Fig. 21 is left-handed, collected by Dr. T.T. Minor, at Kadiak, in 1869. Museum number, 7933. Fig. 22 collected by W.H. Dall, at Unalashka, in 1873. Museum number, 12981. At Sitka two specimens were collected, unfortunately not figured, with the following characters laid down in the beginning of this paper: 1. Short, very narrow and deep, and carved all over with devices. 2. No handle distinct from the body. 3, 4, 5, 6. All wanting. 7. The index-finger cavity is near the center of the back, very like a thimble. Indeed this is a very striking feature. 8. The shaft groove occupies only the lower half of the upper surface. 9. The spur for the end of the weapon shaft is a long piece of iron like a knife-blade driven into the wood, with the edge toward the weapon shaft.