April, igoi. The Island of La Plata — Dorsey. 271 



or covering which vividly suggests the early Egyptian head-dress. 

 The treatment of the face here is remarkable for its portrayal of re- 

 finement. In Fig. a there is sufficient of the image to show some- 

 thing of its character. The arms are treated in the most conven- 

 tionalized manner. Near the center of the breast may be seen two 

 objects projecting downward from the inside. These are both 

 whistles which were blown through a hole in the back of the head. 

 As a matter of fact, all of the specimens except the one already 

 described, and nearly all of the remaining heads to be considered have 

 this hole in the occipital region, and in every case where we have the 

 body of the figure present we have either one or two whistles. The 

 two figures under discussion are very interesting from the fact' that 

 both were made in the same mold. One of them has been subjected 

 to a coat of red paint, which on one side has been very much black- 

 ened by means of smoke and fire. 



The specimens on PI. LXXX have also been made in a mold and 

 in general characters do not differ materially from the two fragments 

 just described. Both are remarkable specimens as works of primi- 

 tive art. 



In PI. LXXXI we have a figure of unusual interest, inasmuch 

 as it represents the upper portion of. an image. There is evidence 

 that this specimen was made in a mold. The figure is apparently 

 that of a woman, there being two slight protuberances which may be 

 considered as representations of the breast. In her hands and pass- 

 ing up over the back of her shoulder she holds some club-like object. 

 About the neck is represented a string of beads. At first sight there 

 appears to be a nose appendage, but closer inspection shows this 

 rather to be an imperfection in the mold, a portion of which adhered 

 to the upper lip. 



GROTESQUE HEADS. 



In PI. LXXXII are four figures, all small in size. Fig. a consists 

 of the head of an image which probably did not stand more than four 

 inches high. Portions of the arms remain and the entire head. Over 

 the head project four knob-like projections, the center one being in 

 reality a whistle with the opening behind. The treatment of the 

 face of this specimen is interesting. From the ears five ridges extend 

 up over the eyes to a line above the nose. These probably represent 

 facial incisions. In Fig. b we also have a whistle at the back of the 

 head; also two horn-like projections, each terminating in a knob, 



