appendix: elephant pipes and inscribed tablets. 301 



cisms of its own publications. But I am sorry to say that it has 

 shown great indiliference, and sometimes even culpable neglect, in this 

 matter. As an instance, I would mention that, some years since, Sir 

 John Lubbock published, in an English journal, a review of the 

 "Ancient Monuments," in which he described all the sculptured stone 

 pipes found in the mounds under the head of pottery. The Smithson- 

 ian Institution republished this paper, with its stupid blunder, without 

 comment or correction, in the Report for 1862; which led Sir John, 

 and the rest of the world, to sui)pose that his statement was correct. 

 I remonstrated with Prof. Henry, who sent me an apologetic letter, 

 offering to correct it in a future report; but nothing was done for years. 

 In the meantime, Mr. Lubbock published his "Prehistoric Times" 

 (1865), reproducing, Terbatim et literatim, his erroneous chapter upon 

 the mound ])ipes. I again called Prof. Henry's attention to it, which 

 only resulted in the insertion of a short extract from my letter in his 

 personal report (1866, p 48 j. This must have escai:)ed Sir John's 

 notice, as the second edition of his work appeared without the least 

 correction, and I presume it has been continued throughout the five 

 editions of his work and its translations into five different languages of 

 Euro]je. I know that the London Anthropological Transactions, and 

 I presume other works, have copied this silly mistake; all of which, 

 you can readily see, has done great injustice to the skill of the Mound- 

 builders as sculptors in stone without the use of steel 



With many wishes for the success of your pamphlet, I remain, most 

 respectfully, 



Your obedient servant, 



Edward Hamilton Davis. 



Front, Marquis De Nadaillac, Author 0/ '■'■Prehistoric America,'" etc. 



[In the recent edition of Nadailhic's " Prehistoric America," the editor, Mr. William H. Dall, 

 has taken many liberties with the text, and thus has connected the name of this noted anthropol- 

 oo;ist with some peculiar theories in conflict with his well-known views. If the reader of that 

 valuable work finds himself in doubt as to the extent of these unauthorized alterations of the 

 text, he will do well to note the following- em])hatic disclaimer of this distinguished savant:] 



8 Rue d'Anjou, Paris, 25 April, 1885. 

 Chas. E. Putnam, Esq., President Academy of Sciences, Davenport, 



Iowa, — 



Dear Sir : I hasten to acknowledge the paper you did me the 

 honor to forward me, on the ele]:)hant pipes of your Academy of Nat- 

 ural Sciences, and I may add that I have read it with the greatest 

 pleasure. 



I am of your o]jinion, that there can be no doubt that man lived 

 both in North and South America in the quaternary period, and that 

 he lived with the mastodons and other great mammalia of those days. 

 I have never heard an objection of any great weight against it, and 

 the mass of evidence, even as you surmise it, not all completely proved, 

 is undoubtedly in its favor. 



[Pitoc. D. a. N. S., Vol. IV. 1 33 [Jan. 2.->, USO. 1 



