No. 1616. A STUDY OF ALASKAN NEEDLECASES—BOAS. 335 
similar to the walrus-head developments, while the head is a later 
development of the upper border, suggested by the perception of 
the similarity of the whole form to a human figure. I do not wish 
to imply that the human figure in this case has necessarily developed 
from the type of needlecase first discussed; but it seems plausible to 
me that an assimilation between the human figure and this type has 
taken place in the two specimens here illustrated. It seems likely 
that the animal figure shown in fig. 12 must be considered in a similar 
manner. There is no doubt that the vivid representation of the 
animal lying down has very little to do with our type of needlecase ; 
but nevertheless I can not free myself from the impression that the 
artist, in his treatment of the subject, has been influenced by the 
treatment of the flanges of needlecases and by the general form of 
this utensil. There is a certain similarity between the position of 
the feet and the positions of the walrus tusks shown on Plates XX VII 
and XXVIII, which is not explained by a realistic 
treatment of the animal alone; and the same is true 
of the position of the neck and head and of the curves 
in the hind part of the body. 
The similarities which I am discussing here are 
even less clear in some of the other specimens repre- 
sented on Plate XXIX. Fig. 3 of this plate evidently 
represents a human leg, the design on one side being a 
representation of tattooing. In this case faint traces 
of the upper border design and of the lower border 
design remain, and the outline of the whole specimen 
still recalls to a certain extent the bulging tube below EReR eae 
and the wider part with its flanges above. If we sr. Micuazts. 
agree to consider this specimen as belonging to the  ™  **!*°% 
present series, the specimen shown in fig. 5 must be considered as be- 
longing here also. There is no doubt that fig. 4 of this plate belongs to 
our series. ‘The tube and the knobs are the same as those occurring in 
the most typical specimens. Instead of the concave faces, we have 
merely flat surfaces, and the flanges have been much reduced in 
size, but are perfectly distinct and sharply set off. The ornamenta- 
tion, however, differs on the flanges and concave faces from the 
ordinary decoration. Besides the designs shown in the illustration, 
we have, on the back of the flange to the right, a line with two pairs 
of one-sided oblique spurs running downward and a forked line 
running down from the black ring, like the one shown on the right- 
hand side of the illustration. On the right-hand side of the lower 
part of the needlecase an etched design, representing a quadruped 
with long tail, will be observed. Fig. 6, Plate X XIX, shows a simple 
tube with four groups of knobs, which may have been suggested by the 
knobs of the specimens here described. Figs. 7 and 8, Plate X XIX, 
