REPORT OF THE ACTING SECEETARY. 49 



made much progress in the preparation of a series of bulletins to be devoted to 

 the fuller presentation of all that is known regarding these antiquities. 



In promoting this worlv Mr. E. L. Hewett was commissioned to proceed to 

 New Mexico for the purpose of malving a survey of the ancient remains of the 

 Jemez plateau region, a large part of which is now included iu the Jemez 

 Forest Reserve. A pi'eliminary report on this work was submitted immediately 

 on Mr. Hewett's return to Washington, and later a paper was prepared in the 

 fox'm of an illustrated descriptive catalogue of the antiquities, to be published 

 as Bulletin 32. In March Mr. Hewett was called on to represent the Bureau as 

 a member of the Interior Department survey of certain boundary linfes in 

 southern Colorado, the principal object being to determine the relation of the 

 more important ruins of the Mesa Verde region to the boundaries of the pro- 

 posed Mesa Verde parlv, a measure for the establishment of which was pending 

 in Congress. Shortly after the receipt of Mr. Hewett's report this measure 

 became a law. A leading object kept in view by Mr. Hewett on this expedition 

 was the collection of data for the compilation of a bulletin on the antiquities of 

 the Mesa Verde region for the Bureau's bulletin series. 



In February Dr. Ales Hrdlicka, of the National Museum, was commissioned 

 to proceed to Osprey, on Sarasota Bay, Florida, for the purpose of examining 

 several localities where fossil human bones, apparently indicating great age, 

 have been discovered. The evidence obtained appears adverse to the theory of 

 the great antiquity of the remains, but the observations made by Doctor 

 Hrdlicka and Dr. T. Wayland Vaughan, who accompanied him as a representa- 

 tive of the Geological Survey, on the unusual activity of fossilizing agencies in 

 the locality are of extreme interest. 



Dr. Walter Hough, of the National Museum, who has taken a prominent part 

 In the investigation of the antiquities of the Southwest, has in preparation for 

 the Bureau series a bulletin on the antiquities of the upper Gila Valley. 



During the year the following permits to conduct explorations on the public 

 lands and reservations of the Soutliwest were granted by the departments on 

 recommendation of the Bureau, transmitted through the Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution : 



(1) In September. 1905, the Southwest Society of the Archfeological Insti- 

 tute of America applied for permission to conduct archeological explorations 

 on Indian reservations and forest reserves in the Southwest, the work to begin 

 in the spring of 1906. Later, permission to make a preliminary reconnoissance 

 during the latter part of 1905 was asked. Recommended by the Bureau ; 

 granted by the Office of Indian Affairs and the Forest Service. 



(2) In January, 1906, the I'equest of the Bureau of American Ethnology 

 for authority to prosecute ethnological researches iu New Mexico, particularly 

 at Taos, was favorably acted upon by the Office of Indian Affairs. 



(3) In April, 1906, the American Museum of Natural History, through Dr. 

 Clark Wissler, curator of anthropology in that institution, requested permis- 

 sion to conduct explorations on Indian reservations in southern California. 

 Recommended by the Bureau; granted by the Indian Office. 



One application for a permit was denied, one was withdrawn, and one was 

 pending at the close of the year. 



The collections of arcneological and ethnological specimens made during the 

 year are more Ihuited than hev^tofore, owing to the reduced amount of field 

 work undertaken. The most important accession is the product of Mr. E. L. 

 Hewett's explorations among the ancient ruins of the Jemez plateau. Other 

 collections worthy of note are those made by Mr. Mooney in Oklahoma and 

 by Doctor Hrdlicka in Florida. All collections were transferred to the 

 National Museum in accordance with law. 



SM 190G 4 



