ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT. XXXI 



classification of the languages of the North American Indians, 

 published in part in the Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau. 



Col. CtARRIck IMallery, U. S. Army, was occupied in con- 

 tinued study of sign language and pictography, with the col- 

 lection and collation of additional material obtained by per- 

 sonal investigation as well as by correspondence and by the 

 examination of all accessible authorities. This work was 

 performed with special reference to the preparation of a mono- 

 graph on each of those subjects for early publication. That 

 on 23ictography forms the greater part of the Tenth Annual 

 Report of the Bureau, under the title " Picture- Writing of the 

 American Indians." It is hoped that the monographs on sign 

 language and pictography, having as their text the unequaled 

 attainments of the North American Indians in those directions, 

 may contribute to elucidate the similar exhibitions of evanes- 

 cent and permanent thought-writing still employed in some 

 other parts of the world, or which now are only described in 

 records or found on material remains. 



Mr. H. W. Hen.shaw was engaged during the iiscal year, 

 in addition to his administrative duties, in assisting the Direc- 

 tor in the final preparation of the ling'uistic map of North 

 America north of Mexico, with the accompanying text, which 

 are published in the Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau. 

 He also commenced a final revision of a synonymy or diction- 

 ary of Indian tribal names. 



Rev. J. Owen Dorsey completed his editorial work in con- 

 nection with the publication of S. R. Riggs' Dakota-English 

 Dictionary, which is now issued as volume vii of the series of 

 Contributions to North American Ethnology. He also wrote 

 articles on the following subjects: Measures and valuing; The 

 Dha-du-ghe Society of the Pouka tribe; Omaha dwellings, 

 furniture and implements; Omaha clothing and personal 

 ornaments; Ponka and Omaha songs; The Places of gentes 

 in Siouan camping circles; Winnebago folklore notes; Teton 

 folklore notes; Omaha folklore notes; The Gentile system 

 of the Siletz tribes; and a Dakota's account of the Sun 

 dance. He revised some of his Omaha and Ponka genea- 

 logical tables previously prepared, and began the arrange- 



