74 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



representing a familiar inhabitant of the fresh-water marshes and 

 ponds of the United States. Several snakes have been mounted 

 and placed for the time being in the cases near by. 



There has been added to the William Schaus collection a 

 series consisting of 1500 specimens of Lepidoptera from Cuba 

 collected by Mr. Schaus himself. 



A PLASTER cast of the large Leatherback Turtle which was 

 presented to the Museum last summer by Messrs. G. M. Long 

 & Co. of New London, Conn., has been installed temporarily in 

 the East Mammal Hall, No. 207 of the second floor of the 

 Museum. The Leatherback is the largest of the Marine reptiles 

 found in the vicinity of New York City. 



The Department of Anthropology has recently received from 

 the Blackfoot Indians a medicine bundle used in the annual 

 sun-dance. These bundles are rather difficult to obtain because 

 of their sacred character and the restrictions governing their 

 transfer from one individual to another. For these reasons they 

 make an unusually important addition to a museum collection. 

 The sun-dance is usually given at the expense of some woman who, 

 in time of great trial, makes a vow to the sun that if her prayer 

 is granted she will secure one of the sacred bundles and give 

 or bear the expense of the sun-dance during the following sum- 

 mer. The bundle contains a head-dress upon which are symbols 

 of the lizard, the First Woman and the sacred turnip, together 

 with the feathers of a number of birds. In addition, the bundle 

 contains a sacred digging stick w4th which the First Woman dug 

 up the sacred turnip in violation of the commands of the Sun, 

 the result of which was her fall. In the bundle there are also 

 seven different kinds of paint used to, anoint the body; seven 

 large rattles representing the seven stars, and numerous other 

 smaller objects used in the ceremony. There is an elaborate 

 ritual pertaining to the bundle containing about one hundred 

 songs referring to the power of the Sun and of the First Woman 

 who dug up the forbidden turnip. This bundle and its contents 

 will be installed in the exhibit of the Plains Indians. 



There has been placed in the west stairway between the 



