Note 60 — COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PLAINS PEYOTISM

The best gourds are relatively small, not more than 3″ in diameter, somewhat flattened on the top rather than spherical, and elongated toward the handle. A hole is made through the gourd opposite the neck, cut off an inch or so from the round part; a stick is thrust through these, the neck hole being reinforced and made smaller by whittling down half a spool and glueing it in. There is no peg transversely through the portion emerging through the top, but both this and the handle part are usually covered with tightly-sewn buckskin to which bead-work is attached; some handles are carved or left plain. A tuft of red-dyed horse-hair is often put on the top and a buckskin fringe at the bottom; shot or pebbles make the sound.