ADMINISTEATIVE REPORT XXI 



for the meauing or etymology of aboriginal terms already in 

 use. The field operations of the year materially eni'iched 

 the comparative vocabulary, which has already attained such 

 volume and completeness as to yield standards for classifying 

 the tribes comprised in the extensive stock to which it pertains. 



Working under a small allotment, Dr Franz Boas con- 

 tinued the preparation of linguistic material collected among 

 the tribes of northwestern United States and contiguous Cana- 

 dian territory. The principal contributions of the year com- 

 prise a complete Tsimshian vocabulary and a considerable 

 collection of texts. The texts are in form for publication, and 

 will be published in the series of Bulletins recently authorized 

 by the Congress. 



Durino- the year the Bureau was so fortunate as to obtain, 

 through the courteous offices of Dr Edward Everett Hale, the 

 vocabulary of the Massachusetts (Natick) language laboriously 

 prepared by the late J. Hammond Truml)ull, and good prog- 

 ress has been made in arranging the material for jiublication. 



Work in Sophiology 



Throuo-hout the history of the Bureau, it has been the pol- 

 icy to organize the lines of research in such manner as to per- 

 mit comparative study of well-defined categories of activities 

 and activital products. The maintenance of this policy has 

 been particularly difficult in connection with the science of 

 opinions, or sophiology, since the object matter of the science 

 is more elusive and complex than that of any other branch of 

 knowledge; yet fair progress has been made in the introduc- 

 tion of the comparative method in even this branch of inquiry. 

 During the year the Director brought together the data required 

 for a cliaracterization of the science of sophiology in general 

 terms, and this outline will be found on other pages of the 

 present report. 



Mr J. N. B. Hewitt made an • important comparative study 

 of the creation mj-ths of several Iroquoian tribes and of two 

 or three Algonquian tribes. Tlie results, Avhich are of nuich 

 interest, are practically ready for publication. The compara- 

 tive method was used with success also by .Dr J. Walter Fewkes 



