Among the Konyagas Langsdorff found the custom much more common than among the Aleuts; he remarks that, although the mothers brought up some of their children in this way, they seemed very fond of their offspring.  Lisiansky, at about the same period, tells us that:  “Of all the customs of these islanders, the most disgusting is that of men, called schoopans, living with men, and supplying the place of women.  These are brought up from their infancy with females, and taught all the feminine arts.  They even assume the manner and dress of the women so nearly that a stranger would naturally take them for what they are not.  This odious practice was formerly so prevalent that the residence of one of these monsters in a house was considered as fortunate; it is, however, daily losing ground."[29] He mentions a case in which a priest had nearly married two males, when an interpreter chanced to come in and was able to inform him what he was doing.

The practice has, however, apparently continued to be fairly common among the Alaska Eskimos down to recent times.  Thus Dr. Engelmann mentioned to me that he was informed by those who had lived in Alaska, especially near Point Barrow, that as many as 5 such individuals (regarded by uninstructed strangers as “hermaphrodites”) might be found in a single comparatively small community.  It is stated by Davydoff, as quoted by Holmberg,[30] that the boy is selected to be a schopan because he is girl-like.  This is a point of some interest as it indicates that the schopan is not effeminated solely by suggestion and association, but is probably feminine by inborn constitution.

In Louisiana, Florida, Yucatan, etc., somewhat similar customs exist or have existed.  In Brazil men are to be found dressed as women and solely occupying themselves with feminine occupations; they are not very highly regarded.[31] They are called cudinas:  i.e., circumcized.  Among the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico these individuals are called mujerados (supposed to be a corruption of mujeriego) and are the chief passive agents in the homosexual ceremonies of these people.  They are said to be intentionally effeminated in early life by much masturbation and by constant horse-riding.[32]

Among all the tribes of the northwest United States sexual inverts may be found.  The invert is called a bote ("not man, not woman”) by the Montana, and a burdash ("half-man, half-woman”) by the Washington Indians.  The bote has been carefully studied by Dr. A.B.  Holder.[33] Holder finds that the bote wears woman’s dress, and that his speech and manners are feminine.  The dress and manners are assumed in childhood, but no sexual practices take place until puberty.  These consist in the practice of fellatio by the bote, who probably himself experiences the orgasm at the same time.  The bote is not a pederast, although pederasty occurs among these