OF THE BUREAU OF KTHNOLOGY LV 



shaped and directed the esthetic concept and became the par- 

 ent of mnch geometric ornament. 



Mr. Hohnes gives an instructive analysis of the forces and 

 influences inherent in the textile art, the first lessons of which 

 are order, uniformity, and symmetry; he shows how the neces- 

 sities of technique determine ideas of the beautiful in linear 

 geometric forms and how taste in selecting certain ornaments 

 as the most beautiful is simply choosing that product which in 

 the evolution of art gave it character and power. 



The influence of textile ornament upon other forms of art, 

 such as architecture and sculpture, is discussed, as also the 

 manner in which extrinsic decorative elements are remodeled 

 in accordance with the rules of textile combination. The 

 paper, however, does not undei'take to cover the whole field 

 of the development of form and ornament, being confined to 

 the relation of the textile art thereto, and similar studies in all 

 other grand divisions of art must be made before the relative 

 importance of all their forces and tendencies can be estimated. 

 But the laws of evolution in all art closely correspond, and the 

 present paper is eminently instructive to all students of the 

 esthetic. 



AIDS TO THE STUDY OF THE MAYA CODICES, BY CYRUS THOMAS. 



That Prof. Cyrus Thomas has long been engaged in the ex- 

 amination of the few Maya records in existence is known from 

 his former works, "A study of the Manuscript Troano" and 

 "Notes on certain Maya and Mexican manuscripts," both pub- 

 lished by the Bureau of Ethnology. 



The object of the present paper is to give information of 

 some original discoveries and to present some explanations not 

 brought forward by Professor Thomas in his former papers. 



The records of Maya and Mexico yet challenge students 

 with unsolved problems similar to those which in the writings 

 of Egypt and Assyria have perplexed so many generations. 

 The translation of the paleographic literature of tliis continent 

 may be expected to throw light on the past of America, in some 

 degree reproducing the brilliant result which has attended the 

 translation of the hieroglyphs of the eastern hemisphere. Long 



