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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVII. No. 425. 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOB THE 

 ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 

 SECTION H, ANTHROPOLOGY. 



At the recent meeting of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Sci- 

 ence, held in Washington during convoca- 

 tion week, Section H united with the re- 

 cently founded American Anthropological 

 Association and with the American Folk- 

 lore Society in a joint program, the 

 papers presented being classified as far as 

 possible by subjects, and arranged for dif- 

 ferent days. The meetings were held in 

 the buildings of the Columbian University 

 Law School. Section H held its special 

 meeting on Tuesday, December 30; the 

 American Anthropological Association on 

 Wednesday, December 31; the American 

 Folk-lore Society on Thursday, January 

 1, and on Friday, January 2, a joint ses- 

 sion of all three societies was held. The 

 following papers were offered for presen- 

 tation to the Section (see series of titles 

 and abstracts attached) : 



E. W. Tookeb: 'Algonquin Names of Moun- 

 tains and Hills.' (By title.) 



A. L. ICroeber : ' Tribal and Social Organiza- 

 tion of the Indians of California.' (By title.) 



W. H. Holmes : ' Incrusted Crania from Caves 

 in Calaveras County, Cal.' (Presentation.) 



Fkanz Boas : ' Conventionalism in American 

 Art.' 



Frank Russell: ' Some Practical Problems for 

 the Consideration of American Anthropologists.' 



Military Insignia of the Omaha: Alice C. 



Fletcher. 



Among the Omaha there were two 

 classes of warfare, aggressive and defen- 

 sive. The literal translation of the word 

 meaning aggressive war is, in the direction 

 of men; that of defensive war, in the di- 

 rection of women or the tent. War parties 

 ranged from eight or ten to one hundred 

 warriors. A man seldom went to war 

 alone, except under the stress of grief. 

 War parties were of two classes, those 

 organized for securing spoils and those 

 having for their object the avenging of 



injuries. The latter held the higher rank. 

 All parties were organized. The leader 

 (the commanding officer), who must be 

 ready to sacrifice his life for his command 

 should circumstances demand it, and four, 

 grades of servers appointed by the leader; 

 namely, the hunters, who must provide 

 game; the moccasin carriers; the kettle 

 carriers; the fire makers and water car- 

 riers. No regalia was worn in actual 

 battle. There were six grades of war 

 honors, each of which had its peculiar in- 

 signia. These honors could not be claimed 

 by a man until they had been awarded 

 through certain rites, which could only 

 take place within the sacred tent of war. 

 This tent and its ceremonies were in charge 

 of the gens which camped south of the 

 eastern opening of the tribal circle. These 

 insignia represented a warrior's act which 

 had been recognized by the supernatural 

 powers and awarded in the sacred tent. 

 Other regalia represented social relations 

 and the • interdependence of men. The 

 eagle feather war bonnet belongs to this 

 class. A war bonnet was not made by its 

 wearer, but was manufactured by the war- 

 riors of the tribe with ceremony and song. 

 A war honor had to be counted upon each 

 of the eagle feathers, so the completed 

 bonnet represented the warriors of the 

 tribe who had consented to bestow this 

 mark of distinction upon one of their fel- 

 low tribesmen. 



The Extinction of the Pecos Indians: E. 



L. Hewitt. 



The paper gave an account of the 

 writer's attempt to find aU the surviving 

 members of the Pecos tribe. None were 

 found remaining of the portion that settled 

 at Santa Domingo and Zia. Of the prin- 

 cipal remnant which settled at Jemez, only 

 two are now living. Other descendants of 

 Pecos Indians were found, but none of 

 pure blood. One of the two survivors has 



