XXXVni REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY 



investigating tlie Ghost dance and collecting the songs used 

 therein by means of a graphojjhone. Ghost-dance songs, 

 together with songs of war and games, were obtained also 

 from the Kiowa and Wichita Indians, and from all of the 

 tribes other songs were collected by means of the graplio- 

 phone, l:)()th in sing'le voice and chorus effects. The mescal 

 ceremony of tlie Comanche was studied, and a large quantity 

 of the interesting drug used therein was procured for chemical 

 analysis and physiologic experiment, the mescal acting appar- 

 ently as a stimulant or paratri])tic of remarkable potency. 

 A number of photographs illustrating ceremonials, as well as 

 individual characteristics, customs, costumery, etc, were pro- 

 cured, and Mr Mooney was able to obtain a considerable and 

 highly interesting collection of objective material for office 

 study and preservation in the National Museum. Some data 

 for the Tribal Synonymy Avere also gathered. 



Mr F. W. Hodge has been able to give a portion onlj- of his 

 time during- the month to work on the Synonymy, his energies 

 being expended chiefly in the arrangement of the library and 

 in enlaro'ino- the scientific exchancre list of the Bureau. The 

 work in the latter direction has met with gratifying success, the 

 regular accessions of the lilirary being largely increased. Mr 

 Dinwiddie has aided in the work pertaining to the lilirary. 



TForA: ill )nijtholo[iii — Mr F. H. Gushing has continued the 

 study of primitive games, divinatory and ceremonial, and his 

 report on the subject, prepared in conjunction with Mr Stewart 

 Culin, is nearly ready for publication. Meantime he has carried 

 forward his inore general studies in mythology, giving special 

 attention to the origin and primitive use of fire. Fire myths 

 are nearly universal and fire worship common among primitive 

 peoples; and it is the possession of the art of fire making which, 

 perhaps more than any other characteristic, distinguishes man- 

 kind from the lower animals. The betjinnin"- of human con- 

 quest of fire has not yet been traced clearly, but Mr Cushing's 

 researches are contributing materially to knowledge of the 

 subject. 



During the earlier part of the montli Mrs Matilda Coxe 

 Stevenson continued the preparation of an important paper 



