580 
A most interesting account was given of 
the Seri Indians, perhaps the most primitive 
of all American aborigines—autocthones, 
if there be any such in the New World; 
their arts and institutions, their fine phys- 
ique, skill in hunting, their stone art, shell 
mounds, etc., were noted and described. 
25. Notes Historical and Philological on the 
Indians of British Columbia. C. Hui1- 
Tout. Read by title. 
26. The Kootenays of British Columbia and 
their Salishan Neighbors. Dr. A. F. CHAam- 
BERLAIN. 
27. Kootenay Indian -Drawings. Dr. A. F. 
CHAMBERLAIN. 
In the first paper the author discussed the 
relation of the Kootenays—whose language 
forms a distinct stock—to their Salishan 
neighbors on the west, the Shushwap. The 
Kootenay speech contains a few Salishan 
words; the animal tales of both peoples 
have many resemblances ; the manufactur- 
ing arts are alike sometimes in detail. But 
the most remarkable contact-phenomena is 
the possession by both these peoples of the 
peculiar double (downwards) pointed ca- 
nue, of what Professor Mason calls the 
Amoor type. 
The second paper was devoted to the ex- 
planation of some 300 drawings—natural 
objects, men, animals, instruments, ete.— 
made by the Kootenay Indians, and the 
consideration of their resemblances to, and 
their differences from, the drawings of 
children. The keen observation gift of the 
Indian, the greater truth to nature, the 
longer time taken to draw them, all evi- 
dence the differences between these primi- 
tive art products and the cruder, ruder 
efforts of children. 
In the discussion Sir William Turner and 
Professor Haddon called attention to the 
importance of such collections of primi- 
tive art, asalso did Dr. Munro, who pointed 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Vou. VI. No. 146. 
out the necessity of such data for compari- 
son with the art of early man in Hurope. 
28. A Rock Inscription on Great Central Lake, 
Vancouver Island. J. W. MacKay. 
Brief description, accompanied by photo- 
graph, of symbolic rock- carving of a tree. 
29. Blackfoot Womanhood. Rry. J. Mac- 
LEAN. 
A detailed account of woman’s life, arts, 
influence, etec., among the Blackfoot In- 
dians of Canada. The Indian legends as to 
the creation of woman—she was made first 
—her sociological status, the influence of 
mythology and religion, the division of 
labor, marriage-customs, result of contact 
with civilized races, were touched upon. 
Some traces of ‘woman’s language’ were 
found. The merry laughter of the women 
is noticeable. 
30. On the Hut-Burial of the American Abo- 
rigines. KH. StpNEY HARTLAND. 
An extended ethnographic account of 
burial within the hut as practiced by the 
American Indians. According to Mr. Hart- 
land, ‘ Its origin must be sought for in the 
savage idea of kinship, and in the desire to 
retain within the kin the deceased, with all 
his powers and virtues.’ 
31. Report on the Ethnological Swrvey of 
Canada. 
The first report of the committee ap- 
pointed at the Liverpool meeting, 1896, sug- 
gesting subjects and lines of investigation of 
native and intrusive races of the Dominion. 
32. Origin of the French Canadians. B. 
SULTE. 
A brief account of the chief* groups of 
early French settlers in Canada and their 
places of origin. Mr. Sulte notes a ‘re- 
markable uniformity of language among 
the French Canadians’—a point regarding 
which there is still some dispute. 
33. Report on the Ethnographic Survey of the 
United Kingdom. 
