Anthropology 769 



can obtain an aspect of technology which should not be over- 

 looked. A cradle is in a way an index of the evolution of a 

 method of carrying a burden, and the human beast of burden 

 in its various modifications, from the time the aboriginal 

 mother carried the child on her back, gives Professor Mason a 

 subject for interesting studies. 



The immense collections of ceramics from many Indian 

 tribes have furnished most important material for several 

 monographs. From a study of these collections, made by 

 officers of the Smithsonian and acquired by purchase, almost 

 every phase of the potter's technic has been discovered, and 

 many peculiarities of symbolistic decoration made out. 



From this source have been drawn most of the illustrations 

 in the beautiful monographs of W. H. Holmes on pottery, 

 while the types of many of the specimens used in the prepara- 

 tion of his articles on shell and bone working are found in 

 the museum. 



Doctor Walter Hough, adopting the thought that one 

 could best study aboriginal arts by working with aboriginal 

 tools, experimented with primitive fire-drills, and as a result 

 he published an interesting article on " Fire-making Ap- 

 paratus" of many rude or uncultured people. Joseph D. 

 McGuire cultivated a somewhat different field, influenced by 

 a similar thought. With no other implements than those 

 used by primitive man, he was able to cleverly fashion any 

 of the various types of stone implements which characterize 

 lower stages of culture. 



While the scope of the anthropological researches fostered 

 by the Smithsonian Institution has not been limited to the 

 study of the American race, a consideration of the preceding 

 pages shows how large a part of this work has been devoted 

 to American antiquities and aborigines. The reason for the 

 predominance is not far to seek. While occupying a position 



