No. 1616. A STUDY OF ALASKAN NEEDLECASES—BOAS. 8341 
monds, to other similar bags shows quite clearly that the rows of 
diamonds have the same origin as the rows of diamonds which are 
painted on parfleches of the Plains Indians. In this case the dia- 
monds suggested the idea of ponds; and, in order to emphasize this 
idea, which. came to the mind of the woman who used the bag, she 
added a number of birds flying toward these ponds. Other ex- 
amples of this kind have been mentioned by Doctor Koch in his 
observations on the drawings of South American Indians. The 
development of the triangles in the designs of the Plains Indians 
to tent designs or cloud designs brings out similar points. 
Thus it would seem that the development of decorative designs 
can not be simply interpreted by the assumption of a general 
tendency toward conventionalism or by the theory of an evolution 
of technical motives into realistic motives by a process of reading 
in, but that a considerable number of other psychic processes must 
be taken into consideration if we desire to obtain a clear insight 
into the history of art. 
HXPLANATION OF PLATES. 
PLATE XXII.—NEEDLECASES. 
Fic. 1. Ancient specimen from the mouth of the Yukon River, Alaska. Cat. 
NO Bete, WoScINigWile 
2. From Razboinski, a village on the Lower Yukon River, Alaska. E. W. 
Nelson, collector. Cat. No. 48802, U.S.N.M. 
3. From Cape Darby, Norton Sound, Alaska. E. W. Nelson, collector. 
Cat. No. 44172, U.S.N.M. 
4. From Kwikpak, Lower Yukon River, Alaska. HE. W. Nelson, col- 
lector. Cat. No. 38096, U.S.N.M. 
5. From St. Michael, Norton Sound, Alaska. Lucien M. Turner, collector. 
Cat. No. 24490, U.S.N.M. 
6. From Paimut, Kuskokwim River, Alaska. E. W. Nelson, collector. 
Cat. No. 38362, U.S.N.M. 
7. Upper part of a needlecase. From Mission, Lower Yukon River, Alaska. 
K. W. Nelson, collector. Original number, 4249, U.S.N.M. 
8. From Razboinski, Lower Yukon River, Alaska. E. W. Nelson, col- 
lector. Cat. No. 48801, U.S.N.M. 
9. From St. Michael, Norton Sound, Alaska. EH. W. Nelson, collector. 
Jat. No. 33700, U.S.N.M. 
10. From Pikmiktalik, a village south of St. Michael, Alaska. E. W. Nel- 
son, collector. Cat. No. 33695, U.S.N.M. 
PLATE XXITI.—NEEDLECASES. 
Fig. 1. From Razboinski, Lower Yukon River, Alaska. E. W. Nelson, col- 
lector. Cat. No. 48806, U.S.N.M. 
2. From Razboinski, Lower Yukon River, Alaska. E. W. Nelson, col- 
ee LEClOnCateeNOn 4852 UE SeNe Mie 
3. From St. Michael, Norton Sound, Alaska. E. W. Nelson, collector. Cat. 
No. 38694, U.S.N.M. 
