SMITHSOMA^^ MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS. 



205 



CIRCULAR 



RELATING TO 



COLLECTIONS IN ARCHilOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY. 



The Smithsonian Institution is now engaged in arranging the 

 specimens in its collection which illustrate the history of the 

 native tribes that have inhabited the continent of America from 

 the earliest known period to the present time. It proposes to 

 give to this department of science especial prominence, and re- 

 spectfully invites the co-operation of its correspondents, and of 

 the friends of science generally, in gathering together in the 

 national museum under its charge, as full a series of the objects 

 in question as it may be possible to collect at the present day. 



In a pamphlet published by the Institution (a copy of which 

 will be sent to any applicant) will be found detailed instructions for 

 researches in the ethnology and philology of the American races. 

 Among the objects there indicated as especially desired, may be 

 mentioned the following : — 



1st. Human crania of both sexes, and in as large number as 

 practicable ; the name of the tribe and sex when known, and of 

 the locality and collector to be legibly written on the bone. 



2d. Photographic portraits of both sexes of the different 

 tribes. 



3d. Remains of tribes now extinct : among these may be 

 mentioned the axes, arrow-heads, pipes, pestles, and other imple- 

 ments of stone found in the superficial soil ; pottery, either in 

 fragments or entire, of earthenware, soapstone, or other material; 

 images, idols, and, in fact, whatever has been in any way fashioned 

 by the hand of the aboriginal man. The locality of each object 



