U0LME6) PENDANT ORNAMENTS OF THE ANCIENT CALIFORNIANS. 263 



Haliolis splendens (?), and finished with much care. Two perforations 

 Lave been made near the upper margin, which is arched or curved while 

 the lower is nearly straight. The edges are neatly notched. Although 

 somewhat altered by exi^osure these objects are still very pretty. 



A very neat, well preserved little pendant is shown in Fig. 5. The 

 specimen presented in Fig. C is peculiar in having a series of five per- 

 forations, one near the middle and the others near the ends. The ex- 

 ample given in Fig. 7 has two perforations, one at each end. These are 

 all made from species of the Ealiotis. 



The specimen presented in Fig. 8 is made from the lip of a Cyprea 

 spadicea with very little change except the carefully made perforation. 

 It is from the island of San Miguel. The idea of beautifying orna- 

 ments made from the Haliotis and other shells by notching the edges 

 may have been suggested by the natural notches characteristic of the 

 Cypreas. 



Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Plate XLIX, illustrate a group of small, delicate, 

 ladle-shaped pendants. The perforation for suspension is at the upper 

 end of the handle and the body has an oval or circular perforation, which 

 is often so enlarged as to leave only a narrow ring, like the rim of an 

 eyeglass. The specimen shown in Fig. 3 has two lobes, with a large 

 perforation or opening in each. In one instance the handle is quite 

 wide at the upper end and ornamented by two deep lateral notches. 

 The edges of these specimens are nearly always adorned with notches 

 or crossed lines. All are fashioned from the Haliotis, and although con- 

 siderably stained are still well enough preserved to show the pearly 

 lusters of that shell. 



Circular and oval disks are also numerous and vary much in finish; 

 some have a great number of perforations or indentations, and nearly 

 all are neatly notched around the margins. Examples are given in 

 Figs. 4 and 5. 



The national collection contains a number of rings and pieces of rings 

 made from the valves of a large clam, probably a Pectimculus, one ex- 

 ample of which is shown in Fig. 6. The convex back of the shell is 

 ground ofl' until a marginal ring only remains. A perforation is made 

 near the angle of the beak. The shell is from the California coast, but 

 the rings were collected mostly if not entirely from Arizona and New 

 Mexico. It is not impossible that the tribes of the interior procured 

 these articles from white traders, as they are known to have secured 

 other shell ornaments in this way. 



The natives of the California coast were not slow in taking advantage 

 of natural forms to aid their art or to save labor. The shells of the 

 FissureUidcE as well as of the EaUotidm have been in great favor. They 

 have been used as beads and pendants in their natural state or the nat- 

 ural perforations have been enlarged until only a ring has been left, or 

 the margin and sides have been ground down until nothing of the origi- 

 nal form or surface remained. Two of these forms are shown in Figs. 7 



