ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT XXIII 
of the multitude of languages in California and in the 
lower Mississippi region. The work is being done in 
systematic cooperation with investigators not connected 
with the Bureau. Among these are Dr A. L. Kroeber, 
of the University of California, Dr Roland B. Dixon, of 
Harvard University, and a few other students who are 
collecting material in California, partly for the Univer- 
sity of California, partly for the American Museum of 
Natural History. Up to the present time the Bureau 
has taken up, in connection with this work, morpho- 
logical studies of the languages of the Northwest coast 
and of the Siouan, Shoshonean, and Algonquian stocks, 
three of the largest on our continent. The work has 
so far advanced that it is proposed to prepare at once a 
handbook of the American languages as a_ preliminary 
publication, 
The Bureau has had under way for some years the 
transcription of the Diccionario de Motul, a manuscript 
Maya-Spanish dictionary, borrowed from the library of 
the University of Pennsylvania. The copy is intended 
for the use of Senor Andomaro Molina, of Merida, Yuea- 
tan, who is engaged in compiling a Maya-English dic- 
tionary to be published by the Bureau. The transcription 
was in the hands of Miss Jessie E. Thomas, librarian of 
the Bureau, but her untimely death in January brought 
the work to a close. The dictionary was returned to the 
university library on March 15, as previously arranged, 
but permission has since been granted to bring it again to 
Washington when a competent copyist is found. 
An important feature of the work of the year has been 
the preparation of material for a Handbook of the Indian 
Tribes. Itwas the Secretary’s wish that this undertaking 
should be carried rapidly to completion, and Mr F. W. 
Hodge, formerly of the Bureau, but now connected 
directly with the Smithsonian Institution, was detailed 
to take charge of the work. Mr Hodge by arrangement 
has spent the afternoon of each day at the Bureau, and 
has thus been able personally to direct the work, a report 
on which is here presented. 
