XXIV BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



at an earlier date. Owing to the fact that many of the spe- 

 ciaUsts do not reside in Washington, it was difficiUt, within 

 a Hmited time, to arrange for entire consistency in treatment 

 and to prevent repetition through encroachment of one sub- 

 ject on another when. written by many hands. On this 

 account, and for the purpose of obtaining the views and 

 criticisms of as many experts as possible, conferences were 

 held, as already mentioned, three times each week, which 

 were faithfully attended by the ethnologic staffs of the 

 Bureau and the National Museum, as well as by other resi- 

 dent ethnologists; and ethnologists from elsewhere, while 

 visiting Washington, often gave this committee of revision 

 the benefit of their criticism. 



As the articles prepared both b>- llie regular attendants 

 and by others were read at the conferences, and thus were 

 accorded opportunity for criticism, the value of the meet- 

 ings in promoting the authoritativeness of the forthcoming 

 Handbook is inestimable. New subjects were constantly 

 suggested, and in some instances much new light was shed 

 on others, after having been written, by reason of the per- 

 sonal knowledge of one or another of the critics present. 



In addition to the special articles elsewhere mentioned in 

 this report as prepared by members of the Bureau, the fol- 

 lowing are among the more important of those that have been 

 furnished by specialists not officially connected with it: 



By Dr A. F. Chamberlain: Armor, Bas(iue influence, Chi- 

 nook jargon, Dutch influence, Eliot's Bible, English influ- 

 ence, fur trade, German influence, Hawaiian influence, 

 Kutenai, linguistic families, "Lost Ten Tribes," maple sugar, 

 Melungeons, Negro and Indian, race names, Scandinavian 

 influence, Spanish influence, wild rice, and many articles 

 pertaining to words of Indian origin incorporated into the 

 English language. 



By Mr Stewart Ciilin : Games. 



Bj' Dr William H. Dall: Russian influence. 



By Miss Anna Dawes: Commission to the Five Civilized 

 Tribes. 



By Dr G. A. Dorsey: Ceremony, Sun dance. 



