CALIFORNIA INDIANS 43- 



in this exhibit by the Mission Indians. These took over many practices 

 from the Pueblo and other IncHans of the southwestern United States, 

 the making of pottery, an art that was unknown among other Cah- 

 fornian Indians, being an example of this. 



While the above division can be made, we must understand that 

 the distinctions are not absolute; in fact, the inter-relations of the 

 three main culture types are shown by the existence of mixed types. 

 The Shasta, represented in this exhibit, stand perhaps midway between 

 the central and northern Californian types, emphasizing the fact that 

 after all no hard and fast classification is possible where tribes occupy 

 adjacent geographical areas. 



One of the most characteristic features of Californian Indian life is 

 the dependence upon vegetable food, the acorn in particular. Almost 

 every people, whatever the degree of culture, has some food article 

 which takes the place of bread and which is in reality the "staff of life." 

 In California, a kind of bread is made of acorn meal. The various 

 stages of this acorn industry are illustrated by a series of small models 

 to show the gathering of the acorn, its grinding, its leaching by means 

 of hot water, and its drying. In the northern part of California, where 

 salmon are found, fishing is an important industry. A case is being- 

 fitted up to illustrate the native methods of catching and treating this 

 fish. 



From the artistic point of view, one of the most prominent facts 

 concerning these Californian Indians is their skill in the manufacture 

 of baskets. While basketry is fairly well represented in the present 

 exhibit, it has been given special treatment in the hall above this, on the 

 second floor of the ^Museum, where will be found a collection of baskets 

 from several parts of California as well as from other regions in North 

 America. 



Dr. Henry E. Crampton has been appointed Ciu-ator of the Depart- 

 ment of Invertebrate Zoology in the ^Museum to fill the place made 

 vacant by the resignation of Dr. William Morton Wheeler. Dr. Cramp- 

 ton has published extensively and is now making researches in experi- 

 mental biology, under a grant provided by the Carnegie Institution. 

 He will retain an official connection with Columbia University, where 

 he has served as lecturer and tutor, instructor, adjunct professor and- 

 professor. 



