1916] The Ottawa Naturalist. 19 



Among other bulbs and roots I may mention: Lilium par- 

 viflorum (Hook.) Holz, "Makaoeza," in the Thompson lan- 

 guage, and ''Skamiz," Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh.; 

 "Spitlum," Lewisia rediviva Pursh., or Bitter Root; all were 

 eagerly sought for. The latter, which is extremely nourishing, 

 was eaten either fresh as it was dug, or threaded on a piece of 

 string and dried, very much as apples were in Canada in olden 

 times. 



One root known by the name of "potato'' was frequently 

 collected. This was the corm or root-stock of Clayionia lance- 

 olata Pursh. "These roots vary in size from that of an ordinary 

 marble to that of an egg. They are very rich in starch, and 

 contain a good deal of nourishment. This plant furnished 

 the principal root crop. Certain families looked on certain 

 pieces of ground as their own- potatoeilihie (potato ground), and 

 I Know an Indian to-day whose sole title to his land is owing 

 to the fact that his mother, grandmother and other genera- 

 tions had been in the habit of digging "potatoes" on that 

 patch. The "potatoes" are all gone now, but some of the 

 land is growing wheat, and part is in orchard. 



Bracken roots were occasionally boiled and eaten, but only 

 in extreme cases, though a fairly nutritive food could be made 

 even out of that unpromising article. Fungi of different kinds 

 were also eaten, sometimes raw; very often they were sundried 

 for winter use. 



I come now to one of the strangest-looking materials for 

 food purposes, namely, the lichens of the dry belt, which hang 

 like old men's beards from all the coniferous trees, Alectoria 

 jithata L. The process of preparation was something like this: 

 A large pit was dug in the ground and the inside made as smooth 

 as possible. A fire was then built inside, and the pit thoroughly 

 heated. The ashes were then thrown out and the pit received 

 a lining of damp grass, on which was laid a layer of "moss," 

 (lichen). Another layer of damp grass, then more lichen, and 

 so on till the pit was full. It was then topped off by more 

 grass, and .hot stones were laid around and over the whole 

 mass, and it was kept as hot as possible for a day or more, when 

 it was then supposed to be cooked. If not well prepared it 

 was apt to mildew, but I have eaten it a month after cooking 

 and it was quite good. 



Among the Indians of the interior the most important, I 

 may say the only plant used for cordage purposes, was Spatsum, 

 Apocynum cannabinum L. The fibre was treated very much 

 the same as hemp, and from it was made fairly thick rope and 

 the finest thread. This was usully spun by the women, between 

 the palm of the hand and the naked thigh. 



