But such evidence is not conclusive. From other aspects these dialects appear superfluously rich in words denoting color. In many there will be two, three, or more for the same tint as it appears on different objects. Thus, in the Klamath there are three radically different words for blue— one as it appears on beads; a second, on flowers; and a third, on garments. Again they will distinguish shades which are important to them, as the changing color of game animals, with an extraordinary particularity which goes far beyond our vocabulary. A scientific traveller who pro vided himself with a chromatic scale of twenty colors, and discussed it with members of seven different tribes of Indians in the Western United States, reached the conclusion that they " distinguish as many, if not more, shades of color than we do " (Gatschet). This interesting ethno logic question may therefore be considered one demanding further inves tigation.
The Symbolism of Colors.—Decorative tints must engage the ethnolo gist from another direction—that of their meaning, the doctrines of color symbolism, which presents many curious features. In primitive art the
color is more significant than the design, and this extended far down in the history of picture-writing, as is seen in the Aztec manuscripts. The messages transmitted by belts of wampum and painted sticks between the tribes of Northern America told their story not by their figures, but by their color, the meaning of which was fixed over wide areas. When they were intent on a visit of peace to a neighboring tribe, they sent a blue girdle and painted their' faces of the same color (Loskiel); but when the message was one of war, they sent the belt of red wampum and the "war paint " was of red earth. " White," says Adair, speaking of the Creeks and their neighbors, " is their fixed emblem of peace, happiness, pros perity, and holiness ;" and the priests of the pacific deities of Pern and Mexico clothed themselves in white robes.
The instances here cited from America could be paralleled with numerous others from ancient and modern art all over the world ; but it will be sufficient merely to throw out this suggestion of the important bearings of this feature of decorative art.