ing the past year. In both
nations, it is generally united with other dances, and seems to be an
appendage to the more formal ones.

The general impression among the Passamaquoddies is that this dance
never had a sacred character. The name is said to have been derived
from the sinuous course of the chain of dancers, and from its
resemblance to the motion of a snake. While there is nothing to prove
that it is a remnant of an ancient snake worship, still it is natural
to presume that such is really the case. There are several tales
relating to the manner in which men were turned into rattlesnakes, and
how the noise of the rattlesnakes has its lineal descendant in the
rattles of the dancers. The Indians told me of several songs used for
snake dances, but in those which were sung I think I detected the same
music, and am confident that the words as given occur in most of them.
The discord at the end of the first line is also a feature of the
snake dances which I have heard.[5]

[Footnote 5: I myself have never witnessed the snake-dance. The
description which follows was obtained from Mrs. Brown, who has seen
it performed twice, as well as from Peter Selmore, Noel Josephs, and
other Indians who have frequently taken part in it. The song was
recorded on the phonograph from the lips of Josephs, who is recognized
by the Indians themselves as one competent to sing the song. Josephs
told me that he remembered when this and other dances took place in a
large wigwam made of bark.]

The dance is performed at weddings and other festive occasions. It is
not used alone, but only with others, and, as I am told, is employed
at all times of festival.

SNAKE SONG.

The words of the first strain are as follows:--

W[)a]y' ho y[=a]rhnie, way ho y[=a]rhnie.

The words of the second strain are as follows:--

Hew nay ie h[=a]h, hew n[)a]'y ie h[=a]h, hew n[)a]'y ie h[=a]h,
Hew nay ie h[=a]h, hew nay ie h[=a]h, hew nay ie h[=a]h.

When the strain changes from the first to the second, the words _ho
yar'h nie_ become a discord like _noy[=a]h_.

The first part of the song is sung alone, by the conjurer, as he moves
about the room in search of the snake. In the second part all in the
chain of dancers join in with him in the song. The description of the
song in Passamaquoddy, including the invitation to take part in the
dance, is given on the first part of the cylinder. Calls to the
assembly to join in the dance are interpo