HOLMES.] VASES OF THE MAROON GROUP, 107 



worthy of esiiecial note that creatiires are not confused or confounded, 

 so far as I can discover, at any stage of the simplifying process — 

 that a fish is still purely a fish if nothing is left to represent it but a 

 node or an incision. There is no apparent relationship between the 

 animal forms forming the legs and those attached to the body or to 

 the rim of the vessel. 



The pottery of the two groups already presented exhibits charac- 

 ters so uniform throughout that there need be no hesitation in plac- 

 ing them together as the work of one community and of one period 

 of practice of the art; but between these groups and those that 

 follow there is a wide gap. The differences are so marked that, if 

 they had come from widely separated localities, very intimate rela- 

 tionships would not have been siiggested. 



The maroon group. — For the want of a better name I have called 

 the group first to be presented the maroon group, on account of its 

 color. Oiir collection comprises not more than a dozen pieces of 

 this ware. The locality from which they come is called Los Tena- 

 jos by Mr. McNeil, but he has not distingiiished them in any way 

 from the other varieties, and I am therefore imable to say whether 

 or not they occur together with others or under identical condi- 

 tions. In symmetry of outline, diversity of shape, and cli^iTncss of 

 modeling this ware takes a high rank, but there is n<i iininicd ,.rna- 

 ment. The surfaces are usually well polished, and all cxposi'd parts 

 have received a coat of purplish maroon colored paint. The paste 

 contains a great deal of fine sand, and is yellowish upon the surface 



Fig. 1.1,5. Cup with mdely expanded rim and con.stricted neck — J. 



and generally (|uitt' dai-k within the mass. ' Considering the small 

 niimber of piit i>. tli.' -calt* of form is remarkably varied. There are 

 plain bowls with in(in-vi>d rims and with flaring rims, vases with 



