312 proceedings: anthropological society 



entitled, The cruise of the Tomas Barrera, the narrative of a scientific 

 expedition to western Cuba and the Colorados Reefs, with observations 

 on the geology, fauna, and flora of the region. 



Dr. M. W. Lyon, Jr., made remarks on the history of the Filaria 

 bancrofti embryos exhibited at the previous meeting of the Society. 



Mr. F. Knab discussed the mosquito host of Filaria bancrofti, saying 

 that an appropriate species of Culex is found in Washington in the 

 late summer. 



The regular program was an illustrated lecture by Mr. Edmund 

 Heller entitled, Hunting in the Peruvian Andes. Mr. Heller gave an 

 account of a recent collecting trip made by him from the west coast 

 of Peru up into the high Andes and down to the head waters of the 

 Amazon. He described the animals collected, mainly mammals, but 

 also birds and reptiles, including the rare spectacled bear, wild llamas, 

 etc. He also commented on the habits and customs of the natives, 

 and showed photographic lantern slides not only of the wild -life, the 

 inhabitants, and physiographic features, but also of many points of 

 archeologic interest. 



M. W. Lyon, Jr., Recording Secretary. 



THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



At the 492d meeting, held December 21, 1915, Dr. J. Walter Fewkes, 

 of the Bureau of American Ethnology, gave an illustrated lecture on 

 his archeological investigations in the Mesa Verde National Park dur- 

 ing the preceding summer. The substance of the address has since 

 been given in this Journal (6: 212-221. April 19, 1916), although 

 with a special view to a comparison between the "Sun Temple" 

 excavated by him on the Mesa Verde and the so-called prehistoric 

 "towers." 



At the 493d meeting of the Society, held January 18, 1916, Dr. Tom 

 A. Williams read a paper on The origin of superstitions. He stated 

 that the forms which superstitions assume are imposed by traditional 

 survival, but that superstitious feeling occurs when extraneous support 

 is desired in too difficult situations. It is a reaction to inadequacy, 

 especially prone to occur when the brain is numb with drugs, infec- 

 tions, body poisons, or fatigue. An attitude of mind may also induce 

 it. Other refuges from the feeling of inadequacy or discomfort are 

 drug-taking, wine-bibbing, tobacco-smoking, wandering about, various 

 amusements, and even intemperate work. The fantastic personalities 

 of our dreams, of which so-called psychic phenomena are merely a 

 variety, give support to occultistic beliefs. 



It is in the feelings themselves, however, that the origin must be 

 sought, belief being merely an attempted rationalization of these, as 

 when a person deduces from the exceptional character of his feelings 

 during the experience a supernatural quality of the force that must 

 have caused it. Such inferences need have no religious color. For 



