s of the 2-ply Z-twist type with each single S-twisted. The
cord is probably of agave fiber.

[Illustration: Fig. 3. Square-knot technique.]

The two complete hairnets are begun with a center circle of discrete
tied yarn. Ten large loops are cast onto this. In the next round, each
of the large loops has three loops tied onto it with the continuous
cord, making a total of 30 loops for the circumference of the net
(fig. 4). The gauge of the succeeding 15 rows of knots is approximately
2.5 cm.

In order to gather the lower edge of the net for fitting purposes, the
cord was doubled and two loops were gathered together and tied with the
same square-knot technique (fig. 5).

The third net (c) has eleven loops cast onto the original circle; the
technique of tying is the same, but the mesh gauge of 1 to 1.5 cm. is
finer.

[Illustration: Fig. 4. Method of beginning hairnets and carrying nets.]

[Illustration: Fig. 5. Detail of lower, fitted edge of hairnet.]

[Illustration: Fig. 6. Detail of lower, gathered edge of carrying net.]

Among the historic tribes the wearing of hairnets, both plain and
decorated, was universal among the women of Baja California. Such usage
among southern Californians was denied by all of Drucker's informants
(Drucker, 1937, p. 45). There appears to be no mention of them from the
adjacent west coast of Mexico, but they are known archaeologically from
the Great Basin. Loud and Harrington picture several from Lovelock Cave,
but give no description of the knotting technique (1929, pl. 41).
However, in their discussion of knots they mention that the "mesh knot"
(weaver's knot) was the most common, and the square knot was little
used (ibid., pp. 83-87). Actually the nets, as they appear in Loud and
Harrington's plate, are very similar to the Baja California specimens in
being knotted rather than being made by the more frequently found
coil-without-foundation technique.

Hairnets were also worn in ancient Peru. Some hairnets described by
Singer from Pachacamac were constructed with square knots, but most of
the 29 specimens she describes were made with the sheet-bend
(fisherman's) knot (Singer, 1936).

Hairnets of the square-knot construction from Bahia de Los Angeles pose,
at the present time, an unanswerable question of origin and
extrapeninsular distribution.

_Carrying net._--One fragmentary net (139535a), the original size of
which cannot be determined, is similar to the hairnets in cons