406 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. I. No. 15. 



DR. EMiL Schmidt's recent works. 



Dr. Emil Schmidt, of Leipzig, is favora- 

 bly known to anthropologists bj"^ his many 

 practical contributions to their science. 

 His text-book on physical anthropology is 

 the best manual extant. Quite lately I re- 

 ferred to his investigations into the pre-Co- 

 lumbian history of the United States (see 

 Science, p. 256). These were a chapter 

 of his large volume, ' Vorgeschichte Nord- 

 amerikas, im Gebiet der Vereinigten Staaten' 

 (pp. 216, Braunschweig, 1894). This is di- 

 vided into four parts, one on the very old- 

 est relics of man in the area of the United 

 States ; the second on the prehistoric copper 

 implements of North America ; the third 

 on the prehistoric Indians of IS'orth Amer- 

 ica east of the Rocky Mountains ; and the 

 fourth on those in the southwestern por- 

 tions of the United States. These topics 

 are treated with a thorough knowledge of 

 the best authorities and a calm judgement. 

 The book will, I hope, have a translation 

 into English. 



In another work, ' Eeise nach Siidindien ' 

 (pp. 314, Leipzig, 1894), Dr. Schmidt gives 

 the results of his own observations and in- 

 vestigations into the native tribes of south- 

 ern India. It is written in popular style, 

 abundantly enriched with illustrations of 

 the natives and of the scenery, and replete 

 with valuable information. 



THE ANCIENT ETHNOGRAPHY OF WESTERN 



ASIA. 



There is no other portion of the globe of 

 equal area the ancient ethnography of which 

 is so interesting to the history of human 

 culture as western Asia, in the land area 

 included between the four seas, the Black, 

 the Caspian, the Persian Gulf and the 

 Mediterranean. This embraces Palestine, 

 Mesopotamia and the upper Euphrates 

 valley, eastern Asia Minor, Armenia, Mount 

 Ararat and many other wondrous sites of 

 old. Here lay the Garden of Eden, the 



holy cities and the earliest centers of civil- 

 ization. 



A most valuable contribution to the study 

 of its earliest geography and ethnography,^ 

 as understood by the ancient Eg3'ptians and 

 preserved in their writings, appeared a little 

 over a year ago from the pen of Professor 

 W. Max Miiller, now of Philadelphia (Asien 

 und Europa nach altegyptischen Denk- 

 malern, pp. 403,. Leipzig, 1893). It is very 

 abundantly illustrated with copies of the 

 ethnic types found on the Egyptian monu- 

 ments and with texts in the hieroglyphic 

 script of the Nilotic scribes. As the author 

 is one of the most accomplished Egyptolo- 

 gists living, his translations of the hiero- 

 glyphs are peculiarly valuable to the ethnog- 

 rapher, since few students of that specialty 

 have paid attention to ethnic descriptions. 

 A map appended to the volume locates 

 from Egyptian sources those troublesome 

 people, the Hittites, this time, in Cappa- 

 docia, as well as the Mitanni, the Kilak, 

 and other little known tribes. The numerous 

 drawings of the faces, costumes, armors, 

 etc., of these former inhabitants, as well as 

 the profound linguistic analj'sis of texts, 

 render this volume one of exceptional value. 

 D. G. Brinton. 



University of Pennsylvania. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

 A CARD catalogue OF SCIENTIFIC LITERA- 

 TURE. 



Editor of Science — Dear Sir : I presume 

 that there is no doubt of the existence of 

 considerable demand among workers in, and 

 writers upon, various branches of science 

 for an index catalogue of the books and 

 papers relating to the subjects in which they 

 are interested, and that an accurate card 

 catalogue, each card to be promptly- fur- 

 nished as soon as the book or paper is pub- 

 lished, will best meet this demand. It is 

 also desired that each card should contain a 

 brief summary of the contents of the article. 



