66 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1897. 



pipes of the North American aboiigiues, and the pictographic work of the Eskimo 

 has occupied the attention of Dr. W. J. Hoft'mau. Dr. Fewkcs spent the winter in 

 preparing an elaborate report of his researches in Arizona during the past two years. 

 Mr. E. W. Nelson, who spent three years in Alaska in the early eighties, and who 

 was subsequently compelled to go to Arizona ou account of ill health, recently 

 returned to Washington and prepared, with the aid of the force connected with the 

 department, a monograjih of his collection, consisting of 7,000 objects. So long had 

 this work been delayed, and so necessary to general ethnology was it that Mr. Nel- 

 son, who with his own hands collected these treasures, should prepare an account of 

 his explorations, that the curator deemed it of the utmost importance that every other 

 duty should be laid aside in order to push forward as rapidly as possible this ethno- 

 graphic study. The work has now been finished, and the manuscript has been sent 

 to the Bureau of Ethnology for publication. Hundreds of drawings and many pho- 

 tographic plates were carefully made in order to illustrate the monograph. It is. 

 also worth mentioning that with the cooperation of Mr. Nelson all of the specimens 

 in our collection kindred to those which he brought together, have attained addi- 

 tional imijortance. 



It would be impossible to name all the persons who have willingly served the 

 department of ethnology during the past year, but especial attention is called to the 

 services rendered by the following i)ersons: Mr. Tappan Adney worked ixp the classi- 

 fication of canoes and traps according to forms; Mr. Henry Balfour studied the 

 Asiatic bow ; the Hon. John Daggett, of California, studied the material, dyes and 

 technique of California Indian basketry; Mr. Samuel J. Entrikin, Chester, Pennsyl- 

 vania, gave information concerning the structure of the Eskimo dog harness; 

 Dr. J. Walter Fewkes gave information regarding the industrial life of the jjueblo 

 Indians; Dr. J. W. Hudson, Ukiah, California, studied the various stitches used in 

 California basketry; Dr. W. J. Hoffman studied the methods of mat making among 

 the Chippewa tribes; Miss Elizabeth Lemke, of Berlin, investigated the distribution 

 of looms of Germany ; Mr. J. D. McGuire, Ellicott City, Maryland, studied the art of 

 stone Avorking; Mr. E. W. Nelson gave information on many details connected with 

 the technique of the Alaskan Eskimo. Rev. G. B. Winton, San LuisPotosi, Mexico, 

 transmitted valuable collections illustrating the survival of ancient Indian arts 

 among the modern tribes, and of old Spanish culture in the folk Mexican life. Mr.. 

 F. V. Coville has become interested in the study of plants used by the Indians of our 

 western country for food, narcotics, clothing, houses, textiles, etc. 



Professor Mason agaiu calls attention to the desirability of directing- 

 special effort to the acquisition of such material as will fill gaps in tha 

 I)resent series and of acquiring material for new series. He refers to a 

 paper which -he recently published in the Report of the Smithsonian 

 Institution,' in which he has elaborated eighteen culture areas in the 

 Western Hemisphere and divided the products of human activity into- 

 seven large classes, indicating in a table what constitutes the necessary 

 data for a correct study of the ethnography of these culture regions. 

 He suggests the advisability of preparing, in connection with this, a 

 statement showing what the Museum already possesses and what is 

 still desired, in order that the IsTational Museum may, as far as possible, 

 present a complete history of the culture of all the tribes which have 

 lived upon the American continent. 



The total number of specimens received during the year, including 

 the pueblo material above referred to, is 3,834, and the number of 

 catalogue entries 2,721. 



' Report of the Smithsonian Institution, 1895, pp. 639-665. 



