ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT 15 



from correspondents, some of them requiring considerable 

 research. No fewer than 130 such letters were answered by 

 means of data supplied by Mr. Hewitt. As in the past, he 

 performed the duties connected with the custodianship of 

 manuscripts, which required more than the usual time and 

 effort owing to the preparation of more thoroughly fireproof 

 quarters and transfer of the manuscripts thereto, as will 

 later be mentioned. During June Mr. Hewitt was engaged 

 in reading the first proofs of "Seneca Myths and Fiction." 



Mr. Francis La Flesche, ethnologist, was engaged during 

 the year chiefly in assembling his notes on the No"'zhizho°, 

 or fasting degree, of the tribal rites of the Osage called No"'- 

 ho°zhi°ga le Ita, or Sayings of the No"'ho"zhi''ga. Of the 

 seven degrees, the No'"zhizho° is said to be the longest and 

 the next in importance to the Ni'kie degree; it is also said 

 that this degree contains nearly all the symbols and cere- 

 monial forms (we'gaxe), for which reason it is regarded as 

 higher in rank than the other degrees, excepting the Ni'kie. 

 From information given by Watse'mo°i" of the Black Bear 

 gens and by Waxthi'zhi of the Puma gens, both of the Ho°'- 

 ga dual division, their version of the ritual of the No'"zhizho'' 

 degree is composed of 116 songs, 14 wi'gie (parts of the ritual ■ 

 that is spoken), and a number of ceremonial acts and forms. 

 Waxthi'zhi, from whom the songs and wi'gie were obtained, 

 gave 14 wi'gie and 74 songs; he was unable to give the entire 

 116 songs, having lost some of them by reason of long disuse 

 of the ritual. To the close of the year 206 pages of this 

 ritual have been completed by Mr. La Flesche ; these comprise 

 9 wi'gie with literal and free translations, 25 songs with trans- 

 lations, and explanations of the songs, ceremonial acts, and 

 movements, as well as of the various syml^ols and parapher- 

 nalia used in the ceremonies. 



Mr. La Flesche's work on the No"'zhizho" ritual has twice 

 been interrupted by visiting Osage, from whom, however, 

 further information has been obtained concerning the great 

 war rites of the Osage people. First, Wa'thuxage, who 

 visited Washington in the autumn of 1914, gave the ritual of 

 the Wax'obe degree of the Tsi'zhu Washtage gens, of which he 

 was a member. The wi'gie and songs of this ritual cover 76 



