32 PREFACE 



The series contained in the present volume is given without text, 

 partly for the reason that it has been impossible to revise phonetics 

 and grammar of the texts, partly because there is no immediate 

 prospect of carrying through such a revision. 



In the second part of the present paper a description of the life, 

 social organization, and religious ideas and practices, of the people, 

 is given as it appears from their mythology. 



In the third part I have discussed certain aspects of the social life 

 of the Tsimshian. 



In the fourth part a discussion is presented of the mythology of the 

 Tsimshian hi its bearing upon their general mythical concepts and in 

 relation to the phenomena of dissemination of myths in northwestern 

 America. 



The music contained in the present volume was reproduced as 

 written by Mr. Tate. I presume no claim for accuracy can be made 

 for it. 



I am indebted to Mr. C. M. Barbeau for the phonetic equivalents 

 of some Tsimshian names used by Mr. Tate; to Dr. E. Sapir for those 

 of some Nootka names. In an appendix I have given a number of 

 hitherto unpublished Bellabella tales collected by Professor Living- 

 ston Farrand and of Nootka tales collected by Mi-. George Hunt. 



I wish to express my thanks to Miss Harriet A. Andrews for her 

 efficient help in the preparation of the volume, and to Dr. H. K. 

 Haeberlhi for assistance in the preparation of the index of quotations. 



Franz Boas. 



Columbia University, New York, 

 Summer of 1916. 



