249 



EB No. 6. The leaves of what appears to he an uudescribed species of agave of the 

 J. filifera type, used by the Cora Indians at Santa Teresa, Tepic. 



KB No. 7. The clean fiber ready for spinning into ropes. 



EB Xo. 8. A rope made out of this liber. 



EB No. 10. A narrow strip from the leaf of Agave vivipara used in the place of strings 

 in tying up packages of sugar. 



EB No. 11. Leaves of Agave geminiflom, from which the Cora Indians obtain a fine 

 liber which is spun into hand bags. 



EB No. 12. Said to be the liber obtained from leaves of this species. 



EB No. 13. A hand bag made from this liber. 



Herb. No. 2755. The leaf of Agave vivipara. 



EB No. 14. The cleaned fiber from this species. 



EB No. 15. The mixed fiber of the same ready for spinning into thread. 



EB No. 16. A coarse thread or twine made from this mixed fiber. 



EB No. 19. A partly finished hand bag knit out of this thread. 



EBNo.45. A marginal strip from the "huila" agave, sometimes called "bastard 

 tequila,"' from which a coarse liber is taken 



EB No. 46. The partially cleaned fiber. 



EB No. 47. The same, but cleaner. 



EB No. 48. The same mixed, ready to spin into ropes. 



EB No. 35. A line, soft agave fiber used at Colotlau for thread in hat making. The 

 liber is very clean and white I did not learn definitely the species from which 

 it was obtained, but was told that it was from one of the large species in culti- 

 vation in the town, therefore probably from either Agave a mericana or A. cochlearis. 



EB No. 36. A rude thread used for sewing hat braids together and made from the 

 last-mentioned liber. The thread is made out of a few fibers which are twisted 

 by hand. 



EB No. 60. A dishcloth composed simply of a bunch of agave libers (PL L, fig. 2). 

 Obtained at Bolanos. It seems to be common to use the plain fiber in this man- 

 ner for cleaning and washing. I found in my room at one of the larger hotels 

 of Guadalajara a bunch of* this liber in place of a wash rag. 



EB No. 130. A bunch of small twine bought at Guadalajara. In this city there is a 

 whole block of stores which are given up almost, entirely to the sale of these 

 fiber products. In the smaller towns there is usually one or two stores where 

 such things are for sale, or certain parts of the open market which is usually 

 about the plaza are given up to them. 



EB Nos. 51, 79. Rude scouring brushes which are seen in all parts of western 

 Mexico. They are made from the bases of the leaves of Agave vivipara. They 

 are 15 to 18 cm. (6 to 7, inches) long. The broad, clasping base, which is 5 to 6 

 iru (3 to I inches) wide, forms the brush proper, and the contracted blade above 

 forms the handle. None of the connecting tissue is removed, but it gradually 

 wears away, leaving the naked stiff fibers (PI. LVII, figs. 6, 7). These brushes 

 are seen in all the small markets of western Mexico, and are even found in the 

 great market house in the city of (ruadalajaia, 



EB No. 5. A spinner or twister used by the Cora Indians in making ropes of agave 

 fiber. 

 This was this commonest spinner 1 saw, and is composed of 2 pieces of wood 



(PI. LI). Of these, one is flattened and somewhat wedge-shaped, about 3 dm. (1 foot) 



long, and considerably heavier at one end than the other. At its smaller and lighter 



end is a notch, and just below this notch is a small hole. The second piece consists 



of a round stick about 3 dm. (1 loot) long, which is small enough to work freely in 



the hole of the first piece. At one end is a small knob which prevents the heavier 



piece from coming off. 



In making thread or twine two persons are employed. One of them sits with the 



mixed fiber in his lap or at his side, while the one who does the twisting stands. 



Some of the fiber is fastened about the notch of the first piece described, which is 



2l>114 8 



