SEPTEMBER 3, 1897. ] 
in the case of the Tasmanians, entire disappearance. 
Such will probably soon be the fate of the Maories, 
the Andamanese, the North American Indians and 
the blacks of Australia. While these exist it is pos 
sible to preserve their traditions and folk-lore and 
to record their habits of life, their arts and the like, 
and such direct evidence is necessarily more valuable 
than accounts filtered through the recollection of the 
most intelligent white man. 
It is scarcely necessary to enlarge upon this point, 
as no one will seriously question the value to science 
of such information. But it does seem necessary to 
urge that no time be lost. 
2. As to the benefit, to the government, of these in- 
quiries, the history of our relations with native tribes 
in India and the colonies is rich in examples. No 
one who has read of the ways of the African can 
doubt that a thorough study of his character, his be- 
liefs and superstitions is a necessity for those who 
have to deal with him. And what is true of the na- 
tives of Africa is also true, in a greater or less degree, 
of all uncivilized races. Their ideas of common things 
and common acts are so radically different from those 
of civilized man that itis impossible for him to under- 
stand them without a special training. 
Even in dealing with the highly civilized natives 
of India it is most necessary that an inquirer should 
be familiar with their religion and with the racial 
prejudices which the natives of India possess in 
common with other civilized nations. 
A training in knowledge of native habits is now 
gone through by our officers, traders and missionaries 
on the spot; and by experience—sometimes dearly 
bought—they, after many failures, learn how to deal 
with the natives. By the establishment of such a 
bureau as is here advocated much might be done to 
train our officers before they go out, as is now done 
by the Dutch government, who have a handbook and 
aregular course of instruction as to life, laws, re= 
ligion, etc., of the inhabitants of the Dutch Indies. 
The experience thus gained would then mature 
rapidly, and they would become valuable servants to 
the state more quickly. 
The collecting of the necessary information for the 
Bureau could be done with but little expense and 
with a very small staff only, if the scheme were recog- 
nized and forwarded by the government. If instruc- 
tions were issued, for instance, by the Colonial Office, 
the Foreign Office, the Admiralty, and the Intelli- 
gence Branch of the War Office, to the officers acting 
under each of these departments, not only that they 
were at liberty to conduct these inquiries, but that 
credit would be given to them officially for good work 
in this direction, there is little doubt that many ob- 
servers qualified by their previous training would at 
SCIENCE. 
307 
once put themselves and their leisure at the disposal 
of the Bureau. ; 
The Bureau itself, the central office, would be of 
necessity in London—in no other place could it 
properly serve its purpose—and preferably for the 
sake of economy and official control, it should be 
under the administration of some existing govern- 
ment office. But the various interests involved make 
it somewhat difficult to recommend where it should 
be placed. The Colonial Office would obviously 
present some advantages. The British Museum has 
been suggested, with good reason, and there appears 
to be no insuperable difficulty if the Trustees are 
willing to undertake the responsibility of controlling 
such a department. 
The staff would not be numerous. A Director 
accustomed to deal with ethnological matter would 
necessarily direct the conduct of the inquiries, and 
until the material assumed large proportions two or 
three clerks would probably suffice. If the value of 
the results were considered to justify it, the incrcase 
of the area of operations over the world would prob- 
ably call for additional assistance after the Bureau 
had been at work for a few years. 
The Bureau of Ethnology in the United States aims 
chiefly at publishing its reports, but its area is limited 
to America. The scope of the present proposal is so 
much wider that the Committee think it better not 
to deal with the question of publication at present. 
If this report be adopted by the Council it will be 
necessary to approach the government and impress 
upon them the importance of having such an organi- 
zation for carrying out these recommendations. For 
this purpose a deputation should be appointed, and 
it would be well to invite the Council of the An- 
thropological Institute to appoint two members.’’ 
The Council resolved that the Trustees 
of the British Museum be requested to con- 
sider whether they could allow the pro- 
posed Bureau to be established in connec- 
tion with the Museum; and if they are 
unable to sanction this proposal, that the 
authorities of the Imperial Institute be 
requested to undertake its establishment. 
The matter is now under the consideration 
of the Trustees of the British Museum. 
The Report of the Corresponding So- 
cieties Committee for the past year, together 
with the list of the corresponding societies 
and the titles of the more important papers, 
and especially those referring to local 
