I902-] Kroeber, The Arapaho. 87 



this person's mind, for the lizard is the most common of all 

 animals represented in this way; so that the symbolism of 

 this awl-case may have been as conventional as its form. 



A small knife-case is shown in Plate xiii, Pig. 2. The 

 crosses have the usual meaning of the morning star. The 

 triangles are tents. At the bottom end of the case is a small 

 design that looks like half of the double figure occurring 

 above it- three times. The triangle in this design again repre- 

 sents a tent, but the T-shaped figure denotes the sun over- 

 head, with its rays shining into the tent. All the figures are 

 repeated in different colors, but with the same signification, 

 on the other side. The white background represents sand or 

 light-colored soil; the separate green beads along the edge 

 are biisaana" (insects or worms) ; and a yellow stripe of bead- 

 work at the side of the case, which, however, is invisible in 

 the figure, is a path. 



A similar knife-case (Fig. 3 of the same plate) represents, 

 as a whole, a fish. The design upon it represents mountain- 

 ranges. The T-shaped figures are trees. On the other side 

 of the specimen the mountain-ranges are repeated in other 

 colors, while the trees are replaced by crosses, signifying the 

 morning star. 



A larger knife-scabbard is shown in Pig. 4 of Plate xiii. At 

 the top is the figure of a tent. A wavy red line enclosing the 

 rest of the design is a path. The green triangles inside are 

 buffalo- wallows, and the stripes connecting them are buffalo- 

 paths. The white background represents snow. The little 

 attachment at the end of the scabbard is called the tail. The 

 other loose thongs represent small streams of water. At the 

 upper edge, around the rim of the opening, are red beads, to 

 signify that the bloody knife used in butchering reddens that 

 part of the scabbard. 



On the knife-case shown in Pig. 5 of Plate xiii, the symbol- 

 ism is so incoherent that it must have been secondary, in the 

 mind of the owner, to the decorative appearance. The green 

 lines forming a square at the top represent rivers. The 

 figure within it is an eagle. The two larger dark portions of 

 this figure are also cattle- tracks. The two rows of triangles 



