ADMINISTRATIVE RKPdKT XXV 



similar weapons and implements, to adopt similar modes of 

 tliinkino- and wiirkinu', to worshii) similai- deities, and thus to 

 be V)rpuo-lit from complete dissonance to potential harmony 

 whensoever the exig-ency of primitive life may serve; and thus 

 the course of that convergent development, which is the most 

 important lesson the American aborigines have given to the 

 world, is made clear. Some idea may be formed, also, of the 

 history of ]iiratical acculturation. 



Work in Philology • 



Dr Albert S. Gatsche*^ has continued the preparation of a 

 comparative vocaliulary of Algonquian dialects, making satis- 

 factory progress. The Algonquian linguistic stock was the 

 most extensive of North America, both in the number of dia- 

 lects and in the area occupied b}- the tribes using them. For 

 this and other reasons the stock has been a source of much 

 labor among philologists, and there has been considerable 

 di^'ersitv of opinion as to its classification. One of the tasks 

 undertaken by the Bureau early in its history was the review 

 of Algonquian linguistic material for. the jmi'pose of formu- 

 lating a deiinite and satisfactor}^ classification. Many vocabu- 

 laries have been collected and compared; to aid in the deter- 

 mination of aflBnities, grammatic material has also been 

 obtained in considerable volume; and still further to elucidate 

 relations, a body of records of myths and ceremonies has been 

 accumulated. The lexic, grammatic, an<l mythologic records 

 of the Algonquian stock collected by collaborators of the 

 Bureau and obtained from correspondents form several Hun- 

 dred manuscripts; and it is from this voluminous material that 

 the comparative vocabulary is compiled. In addition to this 

 routine work on the vocaUularv, Dr Gatschet has from time 

 to time prepared linguistic material for use in answering 

 inquiries of numerous correspondents. 



Mr J. N. B. Hewitt has continued the study of tluvlnKiuoian 

 languages during the }'ear. As has been noted in former 

 reports, he has also carried forward a g'eneral stud\' ot' the ])ro- 

 noun 51s used in primitive tongues, with a view to the prejjara- 

 tiou of a memoir on linguistic develoi)ment. Partly as a means 



