138 USES or PLANTS BY INDIANS (bth. ann. 33 



species used and their many uses show considerable development of 

 priuticiil plant economy, or economic botany. 



All these considerations of the relations between the aboriginal 

 human population and the flora of the region are instructive to us 

 as indicative of what mu&l have lieen the early stages in the develop- 

 ment of our own present highly differentiated botanical science. In 

 this study of ethnic botany we have opportunity to observe the be- 

 ginnings of a .sA'stem of natural science which never came to maturity, 

 being cut off in its infancy by the superposition of a more advanced 

 stage of cidture by an alien race upon the people who had attained 

 the degree of culture we have here seen. 



