4 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XVII, 



significance (Fig. 4, Butte County). The only explanation 

 which could be obtained for this was "big tongues." 



The design known as "gray squirrel's foot" (Plate II, Fig. 

 5, Butte County), is similar to two others of different signifi 

 cance occurring farther to the north. The design has but a 

 small range, and seems restricted to the Northern Maidu ex 

 clusively. Confined apparently to the Maidu of the Sacra 

 mento Valley about Chico is the fish- teeth design (Plate III, 

 Fig. 4, Butte County). The intent here is to show the wide- 

 open mouth of the fish, and, viewed from below, the resem 

 blance is quite striking. 



Designs representing snakes seem to be restricted entirely 

 to the Southern Maidu, particularly to those in Placer and 

 El Dorado Counties. On Plate III, Fig. i, we have the rattle 

 snake, a design which occurs again in Fig. 3, the diamond- 

 shaped figures here being hollow, and combined with the 

 arrow-point design, further examples of which will be given 

 later. The diamonds in these designs seem to be an imitation 

 of the spots on the common rattlesnake of the region, Crotalus 

 lucifer. Beside the rattlesnake, we find also the water-snake. 

 This is shown, as applied to a plaque, in Fig. 2, and on large 

 soup-baskets on Plate IV, Figs. 4, 5. It is probable that the 

 design on the two unfinished baskets shown on Plate XVII, 

 Figs, i, 2, is the same. 



On Plate IV, Fig. i (-E1 Dorado County) , we have a design not 

 common, but evidently widely spread. This is the milleped 

 or thousand-legged worm, the many small triangular appen 

 dages to the zigzag line being the many feet of the creature. 

 Plate IV, Fig. 2 (Butte County), shows the same design on a 

 basket of much better workmanship, and Fig. 3 (Placer 

 County) shows what is apparently the same design, which 

 here, however, is explained as the fly. 



The butterfly pattern (Plate V, Fig. i, Butte County) is 

 said to represent the wing pattern of a species of large yellow 

 butterfly. A smaller butterfly is said to have its wing pattern 

 shown on the basket figured on Plate V, Fig. 2 (Butte County) ; 

 it is, however, strongly suggestive of the rattlesnake design 

 on Plate III, Fig. i. In the same group with the butterfly 



