180 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

with fatal results to his victims. The uninitiated listen and
are impressed as Ano°likwoisaix confirms and supplements
what has just been told them.

After a short pause, the announcer cries, O--:-: :
which serves as an invitation and precedes the appearance of
every supernatural being. Smug emerges, a man clad in a
bear-skin blanket covered with evergreen tufts, and wearing
a mask of which the eyes can be made to swing open or shut
by the pulling of concealed cords. The monster does not speak;
merely circles the fire, terrifying the beholders by his ferocious
expression. When the figure has withdrawn, the announcer
explains the significance.

The next to appear is a Deer, Suo’olxuts Atgquntam, “The
Foolish Son of A?guntéim.” The skin and antlers of a real deer
are worn by two men with sticks thrust down the legs to make
the representation appear lifelike. Two more performers
with human masks follow, trying to catch the creature which
frisks around the fire and avoids them by escaping back into
the enclosure. The announcer informs the audience that this
is no ordinary animal, it is a deer from the land above, the son
of Alguntém. This mischievous creature is said frequently to
destroy the back-room in his father’s house, hence it is a mild
term of reproach to call a person Svo’olxidts Atquntdm.

After the usual delay comes the Varied Thrush, an actor
with mask representing a bird. This is considered to be the
finest bird songster; the Bella Coola say that all animals,
including even mountain goats and halibut, gather to listen
to its melody. The performer sings, then withdraws, and the
announcer and Ano°likwotsaix explain who has just disap-
peared.

Next is Wolf, a man wearing a tail and the stuffed head of
one of these animals. He circles the fire, howling like a wolf,
the performer having been chosen for his ability to imitate
that sound. The announcer tells the uninitiated that they
have just seen a wolf from Nusquixwaista, and have listened to
it howling for A?guntém; as usual, Ano°likwoisaix confirms his