338 DAVKNPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAT, SCIENCES. 



"As first in value we mention the excellent paper on ' Art in Shell of 

 the Ancient Americans,' by William H. Holmes. His resolution of the 

 peculiar and obscure artistic designs which he figures is as ingenious as 

 it is convincing. The analogy of the decoration and drawings on shells 

 from Missouri and (Georgia to the art-work of the Mayas of Yucatan is 

 altogether too positive to be attributable to chance or to parallelism of 

 art evolution. Its explanation demands a historic unity of culture. 



"The ai)titude for artistic work in the native race is further illustrated 

 by the article of Dr. Washington Matthews on 'Navajo Silversmiths.' 

 He shows that they have not only technical dexterity, but original dec- 

 orative conceptions as well. 



"Mr. Frank H. Gushing contributes one of his studies of Zuni life, 

 in this instance on the Zuhi philosophy and their fedches. It is a very 

 curious illustration of the course of native thought directed toward the 

 problems of religion. 



"Similar to it in its subject is Mrs. Erminnie A. Smith's paper on the 

 ' Myths of the Iroquois.' With due deference we must say, however, 

 that the illustrations of this article, borrowed without credit from Cu- 

 sick's well-known book (which has already appeared in a Government 

 publication), are out of place in a report of the Bureau of Ethnology. 

 Nor does Mrs. Smith improve on the quaint narrative of Gusick by 

 dressing it up in modern English. 



"A would-be critical article on 'Animal Garvings from the Mounds 

 of the Mississiijpi Valley ' is inserted from the jjen of Henry W. Hen- 

 shaw. It would have been of more weight had the writer known more 

 of his topic from personal observation, and depended less on second- 

 hand statements. The Bureau should confine its writers to what they 

 know of their own knowledge. 



"Two illustrated catalogues of coUecdons from New Mexico, by 

 James Stevenson, close the volume." — D. G. B., April, 1885. 



Tlie American Naturalist. 



"Under the title ' Elephant Pipes in the Museum of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, Davenport, Iowa,' Mr. Gharles E. Putnam enters a 

 vigorous and well-written i:)rotest against the criticisms and insinuadons 

 which have been made against the character of the discoverer and the 

 authenticity of the elephant pipes in the museum of the Davenport 

 Academy. The article is racy reading, and incidentally gives strong 

 arguments against the desire for centralization in science shown in cer- 

 tain quarters. It will be found impossible to concentrate all science in 

 any one chque or city. Our local societies and scattered observers 

 need not feel that their eflforts are not as valuable in their way as the 

 labors of (iovernment officials and closet or office naturahsts." — Jtilyi 

 18S5. 



"The Davenport Elephant Pipes. — Mr. Gharles E. Putnam, of 

 Daveni^ort, Iowa, has jiublished a pamphlet of thirty-eight i:)ages as a 

 viudicaUon of the authendcity of the elephant pi])es and inscribed tab- 

 lets in the museum of the Davenjiort Academy of Natural Sciences 



