208 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

with short, mincing steps. Atintervals he pulls forth his stinger
and rushes at one of the spectators, poking the weapon at him
and humming fiercely. The writer took the part of a super-
natural mosquito at one of the dances held in the winter of
1922-3 and remembers the expression of fear on the face of a
younger member of the audience when about to be “stung.”
The victim was certainly afraid on that occasion, and if that
feeling could survive the break-down of belief, it is not to be
wondered at that fear was universal in the days when the
kukusiut were thought to be possessors of supernatural powers.
Another being who often appears at a dance of Thunder is
Rainwater-Dripping-from-the-Roof. The masked figure walks
slowly around the fire and Ano°likwotsaix explains that this is
the water which drops from a hole in the planking. The Clowns
are never omitted, and always cause amusement amid the
gravity of the rite. One after another, the supernatural beings
appear from the enclosure, circle the fire, and withdraw, ac-
companied by the sage remarks of Anolikwoisaix. Finally
there is a long pause, broken when a masked figure slowly
toddles forth. It is Snail, who started at the same time as the
other supernatural beings but arrived too late tobe present at
the dance of Thunder. Snail circles the fire and disappears.
At this point the uninitiated are expelled and the rite concludes
as usual.

Dancers whose patrons are Thunder, Earthquake, Sun, or
Moon do not confine their dances to the ceremonial season, but
perform whenever a manifestation of their patron occurs. If
Thunder is heard, no matter what the time of day or season of
year, X stands up and cries out:

“Tt [he does not refer to Thunder by name] is dancing too
lustily up aloft. Xwo---.”

The call of xwo--- is thought to have a quieting effect on
Thunder. Any kukusiut women present at once drone, then,
accompanied by a number of his associates, X proceeds to the
lowest house of the village where the same ritual is repeated.
This is done in every dwelling, after which X returns home and