OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. XLV 



cussion of the subject, which would still be premature, may be 

 presented by the Director in his next annual report. 



Mr. H. W. Hexshaw, when not in the field, was specially 

 engaged in the organization and details of the office work upon 

 tribal synonymy and linguistic classification above described. 

 A careful examination of all the literature pertaining to these 

 correlated subjects was necessary and also the preparation of 

 tentative tables of synonymy. He has prepared such tables 

 and made in connection witli them a brief historical resumd of 

 the literature. Much longer time and the work of the whole 

 official force will, however, be needed for the completion for 

 publication of the results of this vast and complicated under- 

 taking. 



Mrs. Erminnie A. Smith was occupied, while not engaged 

 in the field as reported above, in the revision for publication of 

 her Tuscarora dictionary, the material for which had been col- 

 lected during several years. 



Col. GrARRiCK Mallery continued the collection and classi- 

 fication of material on the two correlated subjects of sign lan- 

 guage and pictographs. His two preliminary papers on those 

 subjects have appeared in former annual reports. It is in- 

 tended, while increasing the data obtained from the Indian 

 tribes of North America, bearing upon these subjects, to sup- 

 plement and illustrate the mass of information collected from 

 those tribes by comparison with everything of a similar char- 

 acter to be found in other parts of the world and to publish the 

 results of the collection and studv in the form of monographs. 



Dr. W. J. Hoftman, when not in the field, continued to assist 

 in the work mentioned. 



Mr. James C. Filling's preparation of the Bibliography of 

 North American Languages continued during the year. In 

 October and November he visited several libraries in Boston 

 and Providence, for tlie purpose of clearing up a number of 

 doubtful points. During- the year pages 839-1135 were re- 

 ceived from the printer, which completed the volume. In the 

 spring a limited number of copies were struck oft' by the Pub- 

 lic Printer, and these have been sent to various libraries, pub- 

 lic institutions, and to individuals interested in the subject, for 



