LX BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



work were constantly displayed, and ever-increasing confidence 

 was reposed in his trustworthiness. In connection with his 

 stenographic and bibliographic work, he was intrusted with the 

 supervision of the editorial work of the reports of the Rocky 

 Mountain surve}' and the newly instituted Bureau, and in 

 addition considerable clerical work fell to him; yet every duty 

 was performed with alacrity, fidelity, and wisdom. Despite 

 the multiplication of duties, his literary and bibliographic 

 methods remained excellent, and even improved with time; 

 and his conscientious care was so invariably manifested in his 

 bibliographic work that his rapidly growing list came to be 

 recognized as a standard from which it were bootless to api)eal. 

 It was dviring these years, from 1875 to 1880, that the founda- 

 tion for Filling's character as bibliographer was laid and 

 securely established. 



In 1881 the Director of the Ethnologic Bureau was made 

 Director also of the United States Geological Survey; Mr Pill- 

 ing was then appointed chief clerk of the Survey, and the cus- 

 tomary administrative duties were devolved on him. These 

 duties were ever performed enei'getically yet judiciously, and 

 withal so courteously and impartially as to gain for him the 

 confidence of every collaborator in that rapidly growing 

 Bureau. In this position he continued until June 30, 1892. 

 During this period he served also as chief clerk of the Ethnologic 

 Bureau in an eminently acceptable manner; and although his 

 administrative work as the second officer in the two Bureaus 

 might well have been regarded as sufficient to occupy all the 

 energies of one man, he never forgot his bibliography, and so 

 ordered his duties that few days passed without some addition 

 to his list of books on Indian linguistics. Meantime his search 

 for rare and little-known works brought him into correspond- 

 ence with dealers, bibliophiles, missionaries on the outposts of 

 civilization, travelers in Indian lands, and many others, and he 

 frequently fovmd it necessary to purchase books in order that 

 their contents might be examined and their titles noted; and 

 in this way he gradually accunuilated a unique library — one 

 of the richest collections of rare books relating to Indian 

 tongues now in existence. In 1885 there was issued for the 



