BEPOKT OF THE SECRETAEY. 51 



On his arrival in Washington, at the close of December, Dr. 

 Michelson undertook the translation and study of some of the Fox 

 myths ; the results indicate that very great firmness in the word unit 

 in Algonquian is more apparent than real, and that the classification 

 of stems must be revised. Dr. Michelson also brought to conclusion 

 his translation of the Kickapoo myths and tales collected by the late 

 Dr. Jones, to which were added notes on Kickapoo grammar and 

 comparative notes on the myths and tales, the whole making some- 

 what more than 300 pages. 



Through correspondence Dr. Michelson succeeded in arranging 

 for the acquirement of other sacred packs of the Fox Indians, which 

 have been deposited in the National Museum. He also aided in 

 furnishing information in answer to inquiries by various corre- 

 spondents, and from time to time supplied data for incorporation in 

 a new edition of the Handbook of American Indians. 



From the investigations of the bureau it seemed that the Siouan 

 and Muskhogean languages resembled each other morphologically. 

 In view of these circumstances, it was deemed desirable that the 

 Catawba, one of the Siouan tongues, should be restudied, and ac- 

 cordingly, toward the close of May, 1913, Dr. Michelson proceeded 

 to South Carolina, where the remnant of the Catawba tribe still 

 reside. Unfortunately, it was found that the language is all but 

 extinct, not even half a dozen persons being able to recall phrases, 

 although isolated words can still be had in goodly number. Owing 

 to this paucity of text material it is hardly likely that the grammar 

 of Catawba will ever be completely elucidated, and as no compara- 

 tive study with other Siouan dialects has yet been made, it is not 

 practicable at present to say with which Siouan group the language 

 is most closely associated. A considerable number of native songs 

 are still remembered by the surviving Catawba, nearly all of which 

 Dr. Michelson succeeded in recording by dictaphone. 



Mr. J. N. B. Hewitt, ethnologist, was occupied during the year in 

 translating unedited Seneca texts of myths which were collected by 

 himself in 1896 and at other times on the Cattaraugus Reservation 

 in western New York and on the Grand River Reservation in Ontario, 

 Canada. These myths, legends, and tales number 13 in all. In addi- 

 tion, Mr. Hewitt undertook the editing of two Seneca texts — " The 

 Legend of S'hagowe"not'ha', or The Spirit of the Tides," and " The 

 Tale of Doa'danege"' and Hotkwisdadege""a' " — recorded by him- 

 self in the form of field notes in 1896 and aggregating 95 typewritten 

 pages. At the close of the fiscal year about one-third of this work 

 was completed. To these texts interlinear translations are to be added 

 for the purpose of aiding in the grammatic study of the Seneca 

 tono^ue. 



