ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT XIX 



or Demononiy (^Sfjjuo?, people; Ao'/«?, discourse; vojuo?, law). 

 Accordiug-ly, demonoiny may be considered as the science of 

 humanity, or the science of those attributes which distinguish 

 mankind from the lower organisms; and these attributes may 

 be classed as demotic, in contradistinctidu from the hioflc char- 

 acteristics of animals and plants. 



Thus far in the researches relating to the American Indians 

 it has not been found necessary to consider in detail the essen- 

 tially biotic features which have led systeinatists to regard 

 the American aborigines as a distinct race, since these features 

 are in laro-e measure common to all of tlie aborig-iues of both 

 American continents; but it has been found necessary to con- 

 sider in detail many of the essentialh^ demotic features displayed 

 by the various tribes. Proceeding with the study of demotic 

 characteristics, it was ascertained that all of the nati^•e trilies, 

 so far as known, are grouped or regimented in similar fashion, 

 so that it is inexpedient to discriminate and classify the Indians 

 on the basis of their mode of grouping; for classified in this 

 way all the known tribes are essentially alike, and collectively 

 form l)ut a single category. Further research showed that, 

 while the })rimary demotic units are essentially alike, the 

 secondary units, representing the products of collective activity, 

 ai'e diverse; and accordingly the researches concerning the 

 relations of the Indian tribes were directed chiefly toward the 

 products of intellectual activity among the tribes. In this way 

 the researches were gradually divided into five principal lines, 

 with their various subdivisions and ramifications, viz: (1) arts, 

 or esthetology; (2) industries, or technology; (3) institutions, 

 or sociology; (4) language, or linguistics; (5) opinious and 

 beliefs, or sophiology. Practical considerations from time to 

 time have led to special activity in certain lines or branches 

 and to temporary inactivity in other lines and brandies; yet, 

 so far as seemed feasible, the work of the Bureau has been so 

 conducted as to develop alike the five categories of secondary 

 demotic characteristics. 



The ])lans and |)ersonnel of the Bureau have remained prac- 

 tically unchanged, except that, at the beginning of the fiscal 

 year, Mr W J McGee was added to tlie corps and appointed 



