38 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



ANTHROPOLOGY. 



It is well known to the Board that the natural history of primitive 

 man, especially in North America, has always been a special object of 

 the attention of the Smithsonian Institution. The first volume of its 

 series of publications consisted of a work by Messrs. Squier and Davis, 

 entitled "The ancient monuments of the Mississippi Valley," which, 

 appearing in 1818, gave a stimulus to archaeological research in America, 

 and added greatly in exciting that high degree of interest in the sub- 

 ject, which now pervades the whole country. The work, although thirty 

 years old, is still a standard publication, and greatly sought after. It 

 had been in contemplation to reprint this work, to meet the great de- 

 mand ; but the destruction of all the wood-cuts by the disastrous fire of 

 1805 involved so great a cost in their reproduction that nothing has 

 yet been done in the matter. 



For the purpose of a more definite inquiry into the subject of mounds, 

 earth- works, and other remains of early man in America, a large edition 

 has been distributed, within a few years past, of a circular prepared at 

 the request of the Smithsonian Institution by Prof. O. T. Mason, and 

 a great many returns have been received, containing more or less valu- 

 able information on the subject in question. Some of these responses 

 will appear in the reports of the Institution. The entire material is in 

 Professor Mason's hands for elaboration and the preparation of part of 

 a new and systematic account of the whole subject, taking the memoir 

 of Squier and Davis as a basis. 



Iu view of the fact that some of the most interesting localities of 

 archaeological remains in the United States are now being systematically 

 explored and the "finds" removed by foreign governments, it is very 

 desirable that Congress should make the necessary appropriation to en- 

 able this work to be done for the benefit of the National Museum. The 

 remains of prehistoric man, as well as illustrations of the life and man- 

 ners of living savage races, have of late years been considered the most 

 interesting objects of exhibition in all civilized nations, and especially 

 within the last twenty or thirty years, and the greatest efforts are now- 

 made everywhere not only to complete the material for each country 

 itself, but to obtain supplementary matter from elsewhere; indeed, so 

 greatly are these aboriginal objects valued in many countries thai posi- 

 tive laws prohibiting their exportation are in vogue, as in Denmark, 

 Mexico, &c. The English, German, and French Governments have of 

 late years been particularly active in archaeological research in America. 

 Central and South America being until recently the chief field of inves- 

 tigation. Within a short time, however, the French Government, 

 through its agents, has been diligently occupied in collecting prehistoric 

 remains along the coast of California, and is aboul extending its work 

 into New .Mexico and Arizona, Oregon and Alaska., and many tons ol 

 the choicest objects have already been removed to Paris. Whateverthe 

 feelings of regret on the part of Americans at seeing the removal oC 



