Women mourn for deceased relations by cutting their hair short.  For the loss of a husband or son (but not a daughter), they not only cut their hair, but often take off one or more joints of their fingers, and always scarify the calves of their legs.  Besides this, for a month or so, they daily repair to some place near camp, generally a hill or little rise of ground, and there cry and lament, calling the name of the deceased over and over again.  This may be called a chant or song, for there is a certain tune to it.  It is in a minor key and very doleful.  Any one hearing it for the first time, even though wholly unacquainted with Indian customs, would at once know that it was a mourning song, or at least was the utterance of one in deep distress.  There is no fixed period for the length of time one must mourn.  Some keep up this daily lament for a few weeks only, and others much longer.  I once came across an old wrinkled woman, who was crouched in the sage brush, crying and lamenting for some one, as if her heart would break.  On inquiring if any one had lately died, I was told she was mourning for a son she had lost more than twenty years before.

Men mourn by cutting a little of their hair, going without leggings, and for the loss of a son, sometimes scarify their legs.  This last, however, is never done for the loss of a wife, daughter, or any relative except a son.

Many Blackfeet change their names every season.  Whenever a Blackfoot counts a new coup, he is entitled to a new name.  A Blackfoot will never tell his name if he can avoid it.  He believes that if he should speak his name, he would be unfortunate in all his undertakings.  It was considered a gross breach of propriety for a man to meet his mother-in-law, and if by any mischance he did so, or what was worse, if he spoke to her, she demanded a very heavy payment, which he was obliged to make.  The mother-in-law was equally anxious to avoid meeting or speaking to her son-in-law.

HOW THE BLACKFOOT LIVED

The primitive clothing of the Blackfeet was made of the dressed skins of certain animals.  Women seldom wore a head covering.  Men, however, in winter generally used a cap made of the skin of some small animal, such as the antelope, wolf, badger, or coyote.  As the skin from the head of these animals often formed part of the cap, the ears being left on, it made a very odd-looking head-dress.  Sometimes a cap was made of the skin of some large bird, such as the sage-hen, duck, owl, or swan.

The ancient dress of the women was a shirt of cowskin, with long sleeves tied at the wrist, a skirt reaching half-way from knees to ankles, and leggings tied above the knees, with sometimes a supporting string running from the belt to the leggings.  In more modern times, this was modified, and a woman’s dress consisted of a gown or smock, reaching from the neck to below the knees.  There were no sleeves, the