106 BULLETIN 134, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



along the center of the panel and form diamond-shaped figures 

 filled in with solid blocks of black color. A superimposed series 

 of parallel rectangular lines and black dots lends variety to the 

 motive. 



Another bark fiber mat (Cat, No. 327459, U.S.N.M., pi. 19), from 

 the same tree as the preceding specimen, is 168 cm. (66 in.) long by 

 61.5 cm. (24.2 in.) wide. Here one finds repeated the characteristic 

 Choco art design. The carrying out of the motive is somewhat dif- 

 ferent insomuch as the decorated surface is divided by heavy trans- 

 verse black lines into four distinct sectors of which the two end 

 sectors employ the semicircle, and the two middle sectors the bisected 

 parallelogram or triangles of solid black color. These are bordered 

 by series of three parallel black lines that inscribe each of the 

 figures. The end sectors are decorated with designs of semicircular 

 black lines. The Choco Indians of the Atrato River Valley use this 

 type of bark mat as floor coverings and bedding. Negroes have 

 adopted its use for the same purpose and claim that it keeps them 

 dry and warm. 



A bark cloth finishing tool is used by the Guaymie Indians of 

 East Chiriqui, western Panama, in the preparation of bark cloth. 

 The final beating and smoothing of the bark cloth is attained by 

 means of this instrument. The handle is of wood and 20.5 cm. 

 (8 in.) long. The working part is a heavy ribbed shell perforated 

 at the apex where it is secured to the roughly constructed wooden 

 handle (Cat. No. 272604, U.S.N.M., pi. 27, No. 8). 



A piece of bast fiber several feet long, collected by Markham from 

 the Tule of the San Bias coast (Cat. No. 326823, U.S.N.M., pi. 

 27, No. 3), consists of the bast of the " tuvsiva " (Tule) castilla 

 tree (Castilla species), and is much employed in making looped 

 hammocks, bark cloth, and breech clouts, which are still made 

 from this material by the Choco Indians of El Choco, or that part 

 of Colombia drained by the Atrato and San Juan Rivers. 



A vine much employed in tying and raffia work by the San Bias 

 coast tribes is an epiphyte, a climbing mountain vine (Cat. No. 

 253704, U.S.N.M., pi. 27, No. 1). H. Pittier describes another 

 way in which the bark of this plant is used. The complete bark 

 from a branch is pounded, resulting in a tube ornamented with 

 brown, rude, nondescript designs. It is used as a clout by the 

 Guaymie women, who pass it between the legs and confine it by a 

 string tied around the hips. 



Weaving implements. — All of the native Panamanian tribes under- 

 stand the use of the loom and the spindle. The Talamanca of Costa 

 Rica, the Cuna, and the Tule as well, all employ similar devices and 

 weaving implements. This applies particularly to their weaving 



