NOVEMBER 5, 1897.] 
Priest River Reserve, which was finished 
about the end of July; the second the Téton, 
finished about the middle of September. 
The Big Horn Reserve is practically com- 
pleted at this date. Work in the other 
areas is still in progress, or was when Mr. 
Gannett reported. 
The information obtained by Mr. Gan- 
nett’s division touching these reserves re- 
lates to the condition, value and character 
of the timber ; the density of undergrowth ; 
the prevalence of fires in past times; the 
extent of cutting ; the location and extent 
of lands more valuable for other purposes 
than for timber ; the amount of settlement 
within the reserves, and the demand for 
timbers in their neighborhood. It is ex- 
pected that the results obtained will be of 
value to the government in delimiting the 
boundaries of the reserves and in their fu- 
ture administration. : 
W. EF. MorseEtt. 
WASHINGTON, October 20, 1897. 
CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. 
MAYA DAY SYMBOLS. 
Iy the ‘Sixteenth Annual Report of the 
Bureau of American Ethnology,’ Professor 
Cyrus Thomas has an elaborate article of 
sixty pages on the day symbols of the 
Maya year. In this study he follows 
the list of days as given by most author- 
ities, beginning with imix. After quot- 
- ing the names assigned them in five of 
the seven languages where this calendar 
was in use, he comments upon the meaning 
and relationship of the various terms. He 
departs in frequent instances from the 
opinions of earlier writers, but in the main 
agrees that in a general way there exists a 
connection between the terms used to desig- 
nate any one day. 
He has taken pains to point out in several 
passages some similarities in the meaning 
of the day-names to superstitions found 
among the Polynesian islanders. These 
SCIENCE. 
695 
are somewhat striking, but scarcely so much 
so as the similarities long ago pointed out 
between the Mexican and certain Eastern 
Asiatic calendars by Alexander von Hum- 
boldt. They are such as may be found the 
world over when we compare early attempts 
to measure time for religious or divinatory 
purposes. 
The paper is abundantly illustrated, and 
will prove a useful work of reference to the 
student of Mayan hieroglyphs. 
THE VIKING CLUB. 
Tur voyages of the Northmen to America 
excite an interest in their ancient memorials 
among American scholars. All such will 
welcome the periodical issued by the Vi- 
king Club under the name of The Saga- 
book. Its aim is to concentrate the study 
of Norse mythology, history and literature. 
Hspecial attention is given to ancient in- 
scriptions on stone or other material exhib- 
iting the runic and symbolic figures of the 
early script. The extension of the Norse- 
men through Scotland and Ireland was ac- 
companied by a large amalgamation of 
Celtic elements. It has been shown that 
this reached by transmission to Iceland, 
where we find a considerable number of 
ancient Celtic names. 
The Saga-book is handsomely printed 
and illustrated and may be bought of the 
publisher, David Nutt, London. The club 
itself is founded as a social and literary 
society for all interested in the North and 
its literature and antiquities. Meetings are 
held in London from November to June. 
It aims to found a library, to present and 
discuss papers on Northern antiquities, to 
encourage the publication of documents, 
arrange for exhibitions, ete. The subscrip- 
tion is ten shillings yearly, which entitles 
to a copy of the ‘ Proceedings.’ Applica- 
tions may be sent, care of the publisher, 270 
Strand. 
D. G. Brinton. 
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
