ADMINISTRATIVE REP<»KT \XV11 



husks of the history of pottery without the vitMl kmul. TIm- 

 archeologic studies iu America siipi.l.Mii.M.t th.- Kuru|M.;m 

 researches in a highly useful way. In tlie first plar,., tin- 

 period of pottery among- the Americau nlx.rioincs was com- 

 paratively short, so that the jn-ehistoric and tli*- liistoric arc 

 closely related; and, in the second jtlacc, the s<-V(-ral livin^r 

 tribes within reach of current ohscrvation rcpn'scnt various 

 stages in the development of the art, so tliat opportunities exist 

 in America for studying the juotives and sentiments of tlie 

 artisans engaged in all of the earlier developmental stag.> ut' 

 the art. In general, the craft of the j)otter mav he .said to aii.se 

 in the social stage of savagery, or the psvchic stage of imita- 

 tion, with tedious growth through acci<rental imj)ri»vement; in 

 general, too, the art may be said to expand and «lifterentiate in 

 the succeeding barbaric stage, with attendant divinatorv ron- 

 cepts as motives, and it is this stage, witli its j)rotean forms, 

 textures, decorative devices, and modes of manufacture, wliicli 

 has been found peculiarly inscrutable by students of tlu^ ])rod- 

 ucts alone. Now, it is precisely this stage which is represented 

 by most of the American aboriginal ware, both jtreliistorie and 

 historic, and by the work of surviving tribes. Acconlingly, 

 Professor Holmes's description of tlie American ware, with liis 

 critical anah^sis of types and interpi-etation ot motives. \V(.uld 

 seem to afford not merely a sui)])lement to, but a sound toun- 

 dation for, the history of the potter's art The m<.nogra|.]i, 

 which forms the body of the Twentieth Annual Report, em- 

 braces faithful representations of some 2r)() typical s|.ecimen«. 

 Of the two special investigations concerning aboriginal indu.n- 

 tries undertaken during the year that of \h Fewkes in Port.. 

 Kico seems likely to be of the more geueral interest. While 

 his trip to the Antilles was designed as a reconnaissance ot 

 Porto Rico, Haiti, and adjacent islan.ls. he was prevente.l, 

 partly by the volcanic disturliances of early May, fn.m extend- 

 ing observations beyond the iirst-na>ned island: yet this failure 

 resulted beneficiallV rather than ..therwis,-, sinre it enabled 

 him to make a more definite ethnologic an.l areheologic sur- 

 vey of Porto Rico than was at first cmtemplate.l. .\nu.ng tho 

 surviving types of aboriginal handicraft to whirl, he gave 



