ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT. 13 



the suggestion is made that it antedated pueblos, on which 

 account it has been designated a middle phase in the South- 

 west. A considerable number of small ruins of the same 

 structural type but with only one room were discovered in 

 the tributaries of the McElmo and Dolores Rivers. 



As a sequel to the exploration of the great houses, towers, 

 and pueblos of Square Tower, Holly, and Hackberry Canyons, 

 at the suggestion of Doctor Fewkes, the Director of the Public 

 Park Service, Department of the Interior, has taken steps to 

 have the ruins on these and adjacent canyons set aside from 

 the public domain as a reserve, to be called the Hovenweep 

 National Monument. 



During the year Mr. James Mooney, ethnologist, remained 

 in the office, engaged, as impaired health permitted, in the 

 elaboration of his Cherokee sacred formulas. Throughout 

 the winter and spring months much of his time was given to 

 assisting the various delegations from the tribes of his work- 

 ing acquaintance, in the West, in their efforts before Congress, 

 particularly in regard to their native Peyote religion, of which 

 he has made a special study. The proof of friendship in the 

 assistance thus given has completely won the hearts of the 

 tribes concerned, and has opened the door to successful 

 investigation along every line of inquiry. 



On June 28 he left Washington for an extended stay with 

 the Kiowa and associated tribes, among whom he is now at 

 work. 



During the past year Dr. John R. Swanton, ethnologist, 

 has devoted the greater part of his time to a study of three 

 languages formerly spoken on and near the lower course of 

 the Mississippi River — the Tunica, Chitimacha, and Atakapa 

 (or Attacapa) . The results of this study have been embodied 

 in four papers — sketches of the grammars of the three lan- 

 guages in question, and a comparative study. A sketch of the 

 Tunica language, covering about 70 typewritten pages, has 

 been accepted for publication in the International Journal of 

 American Linguistics. The sketch of Atakapa, of 40 or 50 

 pages, is practically complete and is designed for publication 

 in the same journal; that of Chitimacha covers about 100 

 pages. The latter is withheld from publication for the 



