276 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[November 1, 1897. 



AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY.* 



SO far as Government recognition is concerned, there 

 can be no question that the science of ethnology 

 occupies a far more important position in the United 

 States than in oxir own country ; and the three 

 magnificent quarto vohimes before us afford ample 

 evidence of the thoroughness and soundness with which 

 the Bureau is carrying out the work entrusted to its 

 charge. In having wild Indian tribes living only a com- 

 paratively short distance from the seat of government, the 

 United States has naturally a special inducement to 

 undertake ethnological investigations which is wanting 

 in many other countries. Still this inducement — and 



of moat of the nmnerous plates, whether plain or coloured, 

 with which the volumes are illustrated, is beyond praise ; 

 and the two which we have reproduced on a smaller scale 

 wiU be found full of interest to our readers. 



The limits of our space absolutely forbid any attempt at 

 a critical review of even a few of the numerous separate 

 papers contained in these bulky volumes ; and our notice 

 must accordingly be limited to a brief mention of some of 

 the leading objects of the Bureau, and reference to one or 

 two of the most generally interesting memoirs. 



The science of anthropology, which comprises in its full 

 extent all that relates to the human race, is divided into 

 the two branches of ethnology and demology (or demo- 

 nomy) ; the former of these dealing with man's physical 



Ihe Ghost Dance. — Inspiration. 

 1*1-0111 Auiiual Keports of tlie Bm-eau of Etliuology (Smitlisoiiiau Institution). 



indeed duty — might well have been overridden by other 

 considerations in a country where commercial business is 

 carried on under high pressure ; and it is, therefore, 

 highly to the credit of all concerned that the Bureau has 

 been established, and that its investigations are conducted 

 in such an able manner. The Bui-eau is fortunate in being 

 under the control of such an accomplished scientist as Dr. 

 J. AV. Powell, the Director, who is ably seconded by a 

 most efficient staff. The preparation for publication by a 

 Government department of such a mass of material, and 

 the designing of the plates by which these volumes are 

 illustrated, naturally occupy a considerable amount of 

 time ; and it is therefore not surprising to find that the 

 letter of transmittal accompanying the foiu'teenth report 

 is dated July, 18'J3, and that with the fifteenth the 

 corresponding month of the following year. The execution 



* Annual Reports of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of 

 tlie Smith.sonian Institution. Vols. XIV. (in two parts) and XV. 

 (Washington. 1896 and 1S97.) 



structure, and the latter with his special attributes, such 

 as language, institutions of government, religion, industries, 

 arts, etc. By ethnological characters man is, of course, 

 weU separated from the lower animals, and the main 

 groups of the human race inhabiting different parts of the 

 world are also classified in this manner. In the early days 

 of American ethnology (using this term in a wide sense) 

 the attempt was made to classify the various Indian races 

 by the biological method — that is, by difierent structural 

 details ; but it was eventually found that " after the 

 primary division into three, four, or five races, the varietal 

 features afford little or no aid in defining and classifying 

 tribes, so that ethnologic researches on any given continent 

 are necessarily carried forward in accordance with the 

 super-organic science of man." This is, in fact, studying 

 man from his higher attributes alone ; and to this line of 

 investigation the main efforts of the Bui-eau have been 

 directed. How important these investigations have proved 

 from a practical point of view is evident from the discovery 



