Apeii, 26, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



655 



On the evening of the twenty-ninth there 

 was a reception at the American Museum 

 of Natural History by the trustees of the 

 museum and the New York Academy of 

 Science, with an exhibition of scientific 

 progress by the Academy, including 

 demonstrations and short addresses. 



A dinner and smoker was given by the 

 American Ethnological Society on Friday 

 evening, December 28, at the Explorer's 

 Club, 23 West 67th Street, to the Ameri- 

 can Anthropological Association. After 

 the dinner those present were invited to 

 the Knabe Building to inspect an archeo- 

 logical collection made by Professor M. H. 

 Saville in Ecuador for Mr. George G. 

 Heye. 



ADDEESSES AND PAPERS 



Dr. A. L. Kroeber's address as president 

 of the American Folk-Lore Society was on 

 the 'Musical Systems of the Indians of 

 California. ' Myth, ceremony and song are 

 fused into one among the Mohave. The 

 Indian music of California is noted for its 

 simplicity. The elements are few and re- 

 peated endlessly; but the repetition is ac- 

 companied by slight variations that may 

 be detected by the accustomed ear. The 

 elements with variations were shown by 

 means of lantern slides and the phono- 

 graph. Dr. Kroeber's studies included the 

 Mohave Telak, a myth told in song (25 

 songs), the Mohave Nyohaiva (6 songs) 

 and the Mohave Raven (4 songs) . He also 

 gave by way of comparison a Kwakiutl 

 song, a Turok Deerskin Dance Song and a 

 Yuki Creator Song. 



The address of Dr. George Grant Mac- 

 Curdy, retiring vice-president of Section 

 H, was on 'Some Phases of Prehistoric 

 Archeology.' Two phases only were dis- 

 cussed—the eolithic question and pale- 

 olithic mural decorations. This address 

 has already appeared in Science.^ 



• January 25, 1907, pp. 125-139. 



The program was arranged so as to 

 group related subjects in a single session. 

 One session, for example, included only 

 papers on Folk-Lore, the president of the 

 Folk-Lore Society presiding. At another 

 papers of interest to students of economic 

 and social sciences were read, the members 

 of Section I being present and taking part. 

 The Saturday afternoon program was de- 

 voted to the reports of standing commit- 

 tees and was of unusual interest to pro- 

 fessional anthropologists. 



Brief abstracts of the papers read are 

 given in so far as material at the disposal 

 of the secretary will permit. 



Dr. C. Hart Merriam read three papers : 

 'Totemism in California,' 'The Yumme or 

 Mourning Ceremony of the Me-wuk' and 

 'Me-wuk Myths.' That totemism exists in 

 California seems to have escaped the no- 

 tice of ethnologists. It is in reality quite 

 general. Totems are chiefly animal. They 

 are rarely natural objects. Among cer- 

 tain tribes the totem governs marriage. In 

 the northern division of the Me-wuk it 

 has a marked influence over the individual. 

 The means by which the individual is led 

 to recognize his totem was given in detail. 

 Dr. Merriam described under three heads 

 the annual mourning ceremony of the 

 Me-wuk which he saw on October 10 and 

 11, 1906, illustrating by means of diagrams 

 the round house in which the ceremony 

 occurred. The last paper by Dr. Merriam 

 was a description of certain myths of the 

 Mfi-wuk Indians in which the coyote, bear, 

 deer, lizard, mouse, condor, turkey-buz- 

 zard, robin, sand-hill crane and other ani- 

 mals played a prominent part. 



Dr. Clark Wissler presented some 'Notes 

 on the Blackf oot Myths. ' 



The myths of the Blackfoot are classified 

 under the following heads: 



1. Old Man Series. 



2. Culture Hero. 



3. Ritualistic Origin Myths. ; 



