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 When the figure has withdrawn, the announcer explains the significance.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