INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICANISTS. 689 



Codex Cortes, a paper on the former of which, by Dr. Cyrus 

 Thomas, was noticed in the Monthly for May, 1883. M. Raynaud, 

 Librarian of the Socie'te' Ame'ricaine, of France, continuing the 

 subject, would distinguish two periods of civilization, one origi- 

 nal, generally Mexican, and a later higher, narrower, Yucatecan 

 civilization. Senor Villanova y Piera, Professor of Geology at 

 Madrid, spoke concerning a skeleton which had been found by 

 Senor Carles in the lower deposits of the La Plata region. One 

 of its prominent markings was the evidence of a great wearing 

 away of the teeth by the use of a corn diet. 



The fourth day of the Congress was devoted to linguistics; 

 and a number of peculiarities of various languages received free 

 discussion. Remarks were made concerning the geographical 

 name of Central America and the application of the term 

 Anahuac, which Dr. Seler insisted means " the land by the 

 water." 



M. Alphonse Pinart submitted two papers on the Antiquities 

 and Rock Inscriptions of the Great and Little Antilles, and the 

 inscriptions on the little island of Aruba, near Curagoa. The 

 former were ascribed to a pre-Carib population, which the author 

 called the Haytian race. The Aruba inscriptions are very differ- 

 ent from those of the Antilles, being cut in the rock, while the 

 others are done in colors. M. Pinart is publishing a series of 

 articles in the Revue d'Ethnographie on the population of the 

 Isthmus of Panama. He distinguishes in Costa Rica the Guetares, 

 civilized inhabitants of the Savannas, living in regular political 

 communities, from the wandering tribes of the eastern forests, 

 the Talamanca Guatusos. The former he regarded as ethnologi- 

 cally identical with the Changuinas of the lagoons of Chiriqui. The 

 same Tiuacas, rock inscriptions, etc., are found among both. The 

 Mexicans are a second important element on the Isthmus, and can 

 be found, the author believes, as far down as Chagres and the im- 

 mediate neighborhood of the line of the canal, and on the Isle of 

 Pearls. But the chief element of the population of the Isthmus, 

 after the Guaymi-Changuinas, is the Cuna, who live on both sides 

 of the territory ; a strong, brave nation, fairly well advanced in 

 civilization, living in constant warfare with the Choco Indians, 

 who are in turn under the influence of the highland tribes. They 

 appear to be ethnologically related to the people of eastern Costa 

 Rica. The use of the blow-tube is a peculiar characteristic of the 

 tribes on the Caribbean Sea side of the Isthmus. This paper 

 called out discussion and some dissent. 



M. Girard de Rialle read a paper on three treaties concluded in 

 1666 between the Governor of Canada and representatives of four 

 of the " Five Nations," and the use of totems in the Indian signa- 

 tures. M. Delisle, of the Museum of Natural History, gave an 



VOL. XXXVIII. 47 



