ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT LXUI 



be mentionefl a body of evidence tending- to explain the svip- 

 posed community of sign lang-uage not onlv ainono- xevy dis- 

 tinct tribes, but am(iiig primitive peoples of widely diverse 

 nationalities. The recent comparison of facts indicates that 

 the ready interchange of ideas by gestures among primitive 

 peoples is simply the outcome of sense training in a certain 

 direction, and that the a]3parent mystery in the interchange is 

 due onlv to the fact that the cultured observers to whom it 

 ajipeals lack this particular sense training. This and other 

 })roblems connected with sign language are receiving close 

 iittention from Colonel Mallery. 



IVork in Indian Jiiero(/l;/phs — Dr Thomas continued his 

 researches relating to the Mava symbols and other Mexican 

 and Central American hieroglyi^hs. His bulletin on this sul)- 

 ject is completed in accordance with the initial ])lan, liut is 

 withheld pending the settlement of certain philologic ques- 

 tions suggested in the course of the inquiry. The researches 

 in hieroglyphs are of peculiar difficulty, but Dr Thomas has 

 made satisfactory progress during tlie month. 



Work in eastern archeology — During the month Professor 

 W. H. Holmes terminated his work in this Bureau and repaired 

 to Chicago to assume charge of the department of anthropol- 

 ogy in the Field Columbian Museum, his resignation taking- 

 effect with the close of the month. Before departing- he turned 

 in the manuscripts and illustrations for two monographs — one 

 on fictile ware, the other on stone art. 



Work in western archeologi) — Mr Cosmos j\Iindeleff has con- 

 tinued operations in New Mexico, though by reason of the 

 exhaustion of his allotment the work has been less extensive 

 than (lui'ing the earlier months. Satisfactory progress has 

 been made in the preparation of maps, ])lans, and other 

 manuscripts. 



Work in sijnongmy — Mr F. W. Hodge has continued the 

 preparation of manuscript for the synonymy of the south- 

 western tribes. During the month advantage was taken of 

 the presence in Washington of Dr Carl Lumliciltz, who has 

 spent some seasons among the tribes of Chihuahua, Mexico, 

 and much valuable information regarding the Tarahumari and 



