May 17, 1901.] 
control the involuntary snarl and growl at the 
approach of the alien than can the hunting dog 
at sight or smell of the timber-wolf’ (p. 155). 
The pedestrian habit and the adaptation of the 
body in its movements (simulating almost the 
antelope) to the needs of progression in a par- 
ticular environment, are quite remarkable, and 
the skill of the Seri runners, like their swift- 
ness of foot, is almost incredible—in men, 
women and children, the pedestrian art is 
highly developed. Another conspicuous pecu- 
liarity of these Indians is ‘ habitual use of hands 
and teeth in lieu of the implements character- 
istic of even the lowly culture found among 
most primitive tribes.’ They practically lack 
the ‘ knife sense,’ and are, moreover, conspicu- 
ously uuskilful in all mechanical operations 
involving the use of tools. Seri warriors are 
said often to have recourse to tooth and nail in 
battle. 
Except face-painting, which is practically 
confined to the female members of the tribe 
(being of blood: marking significance ; the ‘elder- 
women’ are very prominent), and recalls the 
markings of animals, decoration or tangible 
symbolism is rare among the Seris. Not only 
are these people less advanced in esthetic de- 
velopment than other American Indian tribes, 
but they are also ‘at the bottom of the scale 
in the ratio of zsthetic to industrial motives’ 
(p. 176). 
A dearth of fishing tackle is also noted, but 
in the capture of the sea-turtle (a most promi- 
nent article of diet), the adaptation of means to 
ends is beautifully illustrated: ‘The graceful 
and effective balsa is in large measure an ap- 
purtenance of the industry; the harpoon is 
hardly heavier and is much simpler than a 
trout-fishing tackle, yet serves for the certain 
capture of a 200-pound turtle; and the art of 
fishing for a quarry, so shy and elusive that 
Caucasians may spend weeks on the shores 
without seeing a specimen, is reduced to a per- 
fection even transcending such artifacts as the 
light harpoon and fragile olla’ (p. 189). The 
ingenious use of the young or crippled pelican, 
as an aid in the procurement of food may pos- 
sibly have been borrowed from other California 
tribes. The arrow, the weapon of the chase, is, 
perhaps, even more notably perfected than the 
SCIENCE. 
781 
harpoon. Between the arrow and the harpoon, 
on the one hand, and the fire-drill on the other, 
there is a remarkable structural homology, the 
harpoon having been in all probability the pri- 
mary device. With the Seris, the bow has now 
replaced the atlatl, or throwing stick formerly 
in use. In contrast with the arrow, the bow is 
a rude and clumsy device. The posture of the 
Seri archer is one of the most remarkable 
known. The development of the hunt has ap- 
parently ‘blinded the Seri to the rudiments of 
agriculture,’ and goes far to explain ‘their 
intolerance of all animal associates, save the sly 
coyote that habitually hides its travail and 
suckling in the wilderness, and perhaps the 
deified pelican’ (p. 203). The hunting of the 
horse is an acquisition of post-Columbian date, 
in which these Indians have developed rare 
skill. 
As to food, the Seris are omnivorous, and 
their systematic scatophagy—the ‘second har- 
vest’ of the tuna is carefully stored—gives 
them almost a bestial character, though in this 
peculiar practice the beginnings of a thrift- 
sense and the germs of industrial economy are 
possibly to be seen. The ‘ houses’ of the Seris 
are of the rudest sort, merely shelters adapted 
to the roving needs of the tribe, but it is 
very interesting to learn that ‘placing and 
fitting of the beams and tie-sticks are accom- 
panied by a chant, usually led by the eldest 
matron of the group,’—for women are the 
builders here. The chant is probably a very 
primitive ‘worksong’ of the sort Professor 
Bucher has recently discussed. The absence of 
the breech-clout (so common an article of primi- 
tive clothing) is, Dr. McGee thinks, accounted 
for by conditions of environment making ‘ the 
free-flowing and easily removable apron’ of 
most service as a protective dress. An autoch- 
thonous dress of the Seris is the pelican-skin 
kilt, while as cords, fasteners, etc., fabrica- 
tions of human hair are abundantly employed. 
In so far as their peaceful industries are con- 
cerned, the Seris are among the most primitive 
of known tribes, and ‘combine the features of 
the zoomimic and protolithic stages more com- 
pletely than any other known folk, and in such 
wise as to reveal the relations between these 
stages and that next higher in the series with 
