FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT 
OF THE 
BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. 
By J. W. Powe tt, Director. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The prosecution of ethnologic research among the North 
American Indians, as directed by act of Congress, was con- 
tinued during the fiscal year 188384. 
The general plan before reported, upon which the work has 
been prosecuted, remains unchanged. Specialists are employed 
to pursue definite lines of investigation, the results of which 
are presented from time to time in the publications of the Bu- 
reau. A summary account of the particular work upon which 
each of the special students was engaged during the year is 
presented below. This, however, does not embrace all of the 
services rendered by them, as it has often been found neces- 
sary to suspend particular lines of research in order to unite 
the whole force for the speedy accomplishment of an impor- 
tant general undertaking. From this cause unavoidable de- 
lays have occurred in the publication of several treatises and 
monographs far advanced toward completion. In reference 
to monographs and other papers directly connected with lin- 
guistic and ethnic classification, a further cause of delay has 
arisen from the necessity of solving new problems as they have 
arisen in the continued study of the data collected. Thus 
renewed expeditions to the field have several times become 
3) ETH——II ee 
