494 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and rectangular forms which are the prime characteristic of this type 

 of art. 



In the |)rehistoric art of the northern plateaus, in California, on 

 the I^orth Pacific coast, in the Mackenzie Basin, in the wooded area 

 of the Atlantic coast, we find styles of art which differ from the 

 art of the Plains, and which have much less in common with Pueblo 

 art. Therefore I am inclined to consider the art of the Plains Indians 

 in many of its traits as developed from the art of the Pueblos. I 

 think the sjeneral facts of the culture of these tribes are fairlv in 

 accord with this notion, since it would seem that the complex social 

 and religious rites of the southwest gradually become simpler and 

 less definite as we proceed nortliAvard. If this opinion regarding the 

 origin of the art of the Plains is correct, we are led to the conclusion 

 that the tent with its pegs is the same form in origin as the rain- 

 clouds of the Pueblos, so that the scope of interpretations of the 

 same form is still more enlarged. Under these conditions, we must 

 conclude that the interpretation is probably secondary throughout, and 

 has become associated with the form which was obtained by borrowing. 

 With this we are brought face to face with the skeuomorphic origin 

 of the triangular design from basketry motives, which has been so 

 much discussed of recent years. 



The so-called ' quail-tip ' design of California is another example 

 of the continuous distribution of a motive over a wide area, the oc- 

 currence of which in the outlying districts must be due to borrowing. 

 The characteristic feature of this design, which occurs in the basketry 

 of California and Oregon, is a vertical line, suddenly turning outward 

 at its end. This motive occurs on both twined and coiled basketry, and 

 with many explanations.* In some combinations it is explained as the 

 lizard's foot (Fig. 11, a, h), in others as the pine cone or the moun- 

 tain (Fig. 11, c). The gradual distribution of this motive over a 

 wide area can best be proved in this case by a comparison with the 

 distril)ution of tlie technique in which it is applied. The design 

 occurs all over central and northern California. On Columbia Eiver 

 it is found on the Klickitat baskets. These are of tlie peculiar imbri- 

 cated basketry which is made from this point on, northward. While 

 the designs on imbricated basketry found in British Columbia are of 

 fi peculiar character, the Klickitat baskets of the same make (Fig. 11, 

 (/) have the typical California designs which also occur on the twined 

 bags of this district (Fig. 11, e). 



Thus we find, not only that the distribution of interpretations and 

 that of motives do not coincide, Ijut also that the distribution of tech- 

 nique does not agree with that of motives. I think we can also demon- 



* Roland B. Dixon, * Basketry Designs of the Indians of Northern Cali- 

 fornia,' BiiUctin American Museum of Nafiinil Jlislori/, Vol. XVII., pp. 2 flf. 



