Boas] GEOMETRIC FORMS 307 
because of the resemblance they bear to small ladders constructed of 
two poles, which young boys use in climbing, twining their legs 
around them, and pulling themselves up by the hands. Occasionally 
they are called striped snake (sketch 33). Short parallel lines 
arranged in groups are called rain design (sketch 35). In a vertical 
column or in converging series they are xanaxa’in, an unidentified 
edible root (sketches 36 and 37). Wider diagonal lines divided 
lengthwise are called striped snake (sketch 38). Vertical stripes are 
also ornamented with the diagonal line (sketches 39 to 42). These 
are interpreted as ‘‘twisted,’’ or dentalia, and sometimes as half 
arrowhead. 
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41 46 
For the diagonal line the list of meanings is confined to afew 
objects also. Among the natural phenomena suggested are the 
‘rainbow and rain, among artificial objects there are stripe, scratch, 
leaning lines extending out, and little ladder, while of living objects 
the snake is the only one represented, and that is comparatively rare. 
The vertical line.—The vertical line in dotted formation and in 
parallel series is called rain, spot or bead (sketches 43 and 44). The 
single continuous vertical line has practically the same interpreta- 
tions as the horizontal, namely woodworm, snake, caterpillar, or hair 
ribbon. The unnatural position of any of these objects as implied 
in the design does not seem to have occurred to the people, or at 
any rate to have made any difference. Series of verticals cut up 
into sections by changes in color are also known as rain, but again 
as beads, dentalia, spots, or necklaces. Sketch 46 illustrates these. 
Short double vertical lines are practically always interpreted as leg- 
