40 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



INDIAN MOUNDS. 



The researches concerning the ancient Indian mounds distributed over many por- 

 tions of the country, particularly the Mississippi Valley, have been continued by 

 Dr. Cyrus Thomas. The chief work during the year has been the preparation of 

 matter for publication and the revision of proofs of text and illustrations. The 

 principal results, of Dr. Thomas's researches are incorporated in a monograph of over 

 700pages in the eleventh annual report. Several minor papers relating to differ- 

 ent .lasses of articles collected from mounds also are in various stages of prepara- 

 tion, two being ready for publication. 



In addition to his special work on the Indian mounds, Dr. Thomas was able to 

 devote some time to the study of certain Mexican codices of exceptional archeo- 

 logic interest. Considerable progress has been made in analyzing the characters of 

 the Maya codices, and it is believed that these highly significant inscriptions may 

 ultimately be deciphered by means of the methods devised and pursued by him. 



No held work was conducted in this branch of the Bureau during the year. 



SOCIOLOGY. 



The work on sociologj of the American Indians was continued by Mr. H. \Y. Hen- 

 shaw. The earlier part of the year was spent in collecting sociologic and linguistic 

 materials among the Indians of Butte, Mendocino, and San Diego counties, Califor- 

 nia. Early in 1893 Mr. llenshaw was unfortunately compelled by ill health to ask 

 for indefinite leave of absence. 



Mr. .lames Mooney spent the greater part of the year in the Held collecting infor- 

 mation concerning the Sioux ghost dance, and concerning the habits, customs, and 

 social relations of the Kiowa and other tribes, visiting the Sioux Indians at Pine 

 Ridge, S. Dak., the Khoshoni and northern Arapaho in Wyoming, and the 

 Cheyenne, southern Arapahos, Kiowa, Comanche, and associated tribes in Okla- 

 homa. In addition to valuable literary material, he made important collections of 

 objects representing aboriginal life, including a series of Kiowa shield models with 

 illustrative pictography affording data for a study of primitive heraldry, and three 

 important calendars. 



In December Mr. Mooney was commissioned to make collections among the Nava- 

 jos and Moqnis of New Mexico and Arizona for exhibition at the World's Fair. This 

 work resulted in a remarkable collection of unique material from two of our most 

 interesting native tribes, including the products of industrial arts, costumery, etc., 

 as well as the photographs and materials needed for preparing and exhibiting a 

 series of groups of life-sized figures illustrating domestic life, industries, and cere- 

 monies. In addition an unprecedentedly extensive collection of Indian food products 

 was obtained for the National Museum. 



LINGUISTICS. 



Linguistic researches were continued by Rev. .1. Owen Dorsey, Dr. Albert S. 

 Gatschet, and Mr. .1. N. II. Hewitt. Mr. Dorsey continued his investigations in con- 

 nection with the report on Indian synonymy, making a thorough study of the 

 Catawba tribes anil their habitats. He also resumed work on the Biloxi language, 

 ;it first using the material collected during the previous year, arranging the Biloxi 

 verbs in fourteen conjugations, making a list of Biloxi onomatopes, and compiling a 

 Biloxi-Englisli vocabulary of about two thousand entries together with a catalogue 

 •of Biloxi roots. For the purpose of carrying this investigation to completion he 

 visited Lecompte, La., during the winter and spent two months with the survivors 

 of this interesting tribe. In addition he practically finished the work of editing 

 the manuscript of Riggs, ''Dakota Grammar. Texts and Ethnography," which con- 

 stitutes Volume IX of the series of Contributions to North American Ethnology-. 

 Proofs of this work, which is about to leave the press, were revised during the latter 

 portion of the \ ear. 



The curlier pari of the year was spent by Dr. Gatschet in the study of the Wichita 



