44 REPORT OK THE SECRP:TARY. 



Office Research. 



WORK IN SOMATOLOGY. 



During the later iiiontlis of the year definite steps were talien toward systematic 

 record and investigation of the j^hysical cfiaracteristics of the aborigines. A nucleus 

 was already available in the form of an extended anthropometric record made by 

 Dr. Franz Boas among the Siouan Indians several years ago and acquired by the 

 Bureau in 1899; and it was decided to prepare the matter for early publication, partly 

 as a record of the i)hysical characteristics of a typical group, i)artly as a model f(5r 

 future work. In order to enhance the value of the publication it was arranged to 

 have Pr. Boas prepare an introduction treating of somatology in general terms and 

 to have Mr. De Lancey (iill, the illustrator of the Bureau, prei)are suitaljle illustrative 

 material from the photographic negatives preserved in the ofiice. The memoir is 

 well advanced, but was not cpiite completed at the close of the year. 



For some years past })hotography has been employed in the Bureau in such a 

 manner as to yield useful anthropometric data. Thus, in dealing with the wilder 

 tribes, who would resist ordinary physical measurements on fiducial or other grounds, 

 the collaborators have made it a point to obtain group photographs with the figures 

 so placed as to permit measurement of stature and other physical elements in terms 

 of a known unit figure introduced for the purpose; and, similarly, visiting Indians 

 phot()grai)lied in the liureau laboratory have usually been so placed with respect to 

 backgrounds and other objects as to permit physical measurements of sufficient 

 accuracy for practical i)urposes. During the past year special attention has been 

 given to photograjjhing individuals in exact portrait, jirotile, and full face, with the 

 view of permitting the extension of measurement to the facial angle, form of cranium, 

 and other anthroi)ometric elements. This was done not only in the office, but to 

 some extent in the field, especially by Dr. Frank Russell, who made a large number 

 of i^rofile and full-face i)hotographs of Pima Indians. Although the system is not 

 yet perfected, it gives })romise of excellent results as the reaseart-hes in somat<ilogy 

 progress. 



Various collaborators of the Bureau have collected crania and other somatic 

 material in connection with their field operations. For some years the material was 

 preserved in the United States Army INIedical jNIuseum, but it has now been trans- 

 ferred to the United .States National Museum, where the current collections of the 

 collaborators are now regularly sent. In the absence of specialists in somatology 

 in the Bureau, portions of the somatic material have been placed during the last year 

 or two in the hands of experts not connected with either Bureau or Museum, foi- 

 special investigation; and it is a pleasure to acknowledge the service rendered to the 

 Bureau in this way by Dr. George A. Dorsey, of Field Cohunbian INIuseum, and 

 Dr. Ales Hidlicka, of the American Museum of Natural History. A provisional 

 arrangement has 1)een made for liaving such work done within the Bureau hereafter. 



WORK IN I'svcnoi.oov. 



For some years past tin- Director has given special attention to the mental charac- 

 teristics of the aborigines; and during recent months he lias formulated a working 

 system of psychology adapted to the needs of ethnologic students. In part, the 

 results are embodieil in a series of synthetic outlines of ethnologic science designed 

 for incorj)oration in successive rejjorts and printi'd in somewhat abbreviated j)n'lim- 

 inary form in a leading journal (the American Anthropologist) for the i)urpose of 

 eliciting suggestions from contemporary ethnologists in this and other countries. 

 An abstract of the princii>les underlying this series, designed for incorporation in 

 the present report, was printetl in December, 1901, under the title "Classification of 

 the sciences." 



In addition to his <luli(>s as Kthnologist in Charge, 3Ir. W J McGee continued the 

 application of Ihc priiiciiilcs of psychology to the (un-rcnl researches. Two method.s 



