SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXI. No 535 



in the Acciptres, species of Falco and Cerchneis were found 

 gorged with them ; the Secretary bird [Serpentarius secretarius) 

 is an orthopteral glutton; bustards, especially the " Goro Paauw " 

 (Otis Tcori) can apparently exist on them alone, while flocks of 

 the common " Spreo " {Spreo bicolor) make vast inroads in the 

 immense swarms of the smaller species. 



Their survival in the struggle for existence would seem to have 

 been almost entirely dependent on their entraordinary fecundity. 

 Only species with great vitality and immense power of reproduc- 

 tion could withstand the requirements of this mighty avian ban- 

 quet. The origin of the brightly colored wings cannot, however, 

 be placed to the credit of abundant vitality, as some genera of 

 large and active species exhibit brightly and also sombre and 

 modestly colored wings. W. L. Distant. 



Purley, Surrey, England, April 3, 1893. 



A Puzzle for Future Archaeologists. 



Near Enon, in Clark County, Ohio, is a well-known artificial 

 mound, commonly called "Prairie Knob," while the level tract 

 on which it is situated is called ' ' Knob Prairie." A former pupil 

 of mine informed me that when he was a boy his grandfather 

 sunk a shaft in the centre of the mound down to the underlying 

 black soil, without findiog any thing of consequence. The old 

 gentleman was disappointed, not to say disgusted, to find this 

 cherished landmark, which he had so long held in high esteem as 

 the supposed receptacle of the regulation quantity of ' ' Indian " 

 relics, so utterly barren. He thereupon determined, in the gen- 

 erosity of his heart, that future explorers should not go unre- 

 warded. He therefore deposited in the hole a miscellaneous col- 

 lection of stone implements, pottery, shells, old bones, etc., such 

 as he imagined a properly constructed mound ought to contain. 

 This done, he carefully refilled the shaft, and restored the mound 

 to its former appearance. 



Imagine the sensation that such a find as this is likely to make 

 when brought to light by some enterprising mound explorer of 

 the twentieth century ! Charles B, Palmer. 



Columbus, Ohio. 



Pre-Historic Remains in America. 



Notwithstanding Dr. Brinton's protest in Science, April 14, I 

 think most readers will agree that the language I quoted from his 

 " Races and Peoples" (not "American Race") is clearly open to 

 the incidental criticism offered. That the physical conditions of 

 the American continent have been a potent agency in forming a 

 distinct race, as he explains his language, is readily admitted. I 

 also believe they have moulded the heterogeneous elements which 

 peopled the continent from different quarters, at different eras, 

 into a comparatively "homogeneous race," but it is difiScult to 

 understand the process of rendering "homogeneous" those al- 

 ready one in race and derivation. 



If Dr. Brinton has failed to observe a marked difference between 

 the Atlantic and Pacific types, I presume it is because he has not 

 made the comparison with this thought in view, as it is certainly 

 very apparent. His reference to the few shells and copper arti- 

 cles found in Tennessee and Georgia bearing Mexican and Central 

 American designs is unfortunate for his position. He knows, or 

 ought to know, that these are looked upon by all archeeologists as 

 puzzling objects because of their remarkable departure from the 

 types of the Atlantic slope. This fact is, of itself, evidence of the 

 general impression In the minds of archseologists of the differences 

 between the art types of the two regions. 



He asks, " Is he [Thomas] not aware that both the Nahuatl and 

 Maya languages trace their affinities exclusively to the eastern 

 and not the western water-shed ?" Not claiming to be a linguist, 

 I must present as my reply the words of one who is. 



Dr. D. G. Brinton says, in his "Races and Peoples," p. 248: 

 "All the higher civilizations are contained in the Pacific group, 

 the Mexican really belonging to it by derivation and original loca- 

 tion. Between the members of the Pacific and Atlantic groups 

 there was very little communication at any period, the high 

 Sierras walling them apart; but among the members of each 

 Pacific and each Atlantic group the intercourse was constant and 



extensive. The Nahuas, for instance, spread down the Pacific 

 from Sonora to the Straits of Panama; the Inca power stretched 

 along the coast for two thousand miles; but neither of these 

 reached into the Atlantic plains." Observe that he says " all the 

 higher civilizations," which, of course, includes the Maya as well 

 as Mexican people. Even in his later work he reiterates this 

 opinion. In speaking of the groups into which he classifies the 

 stocks, he remarks: "This arrangement is not one of convenience 

 only, I attach a certain ethnographic importance to this classifica- 

 tion. There is a distinct resemblance between the two Atlantic 

 groups and an equally distinct contrast between them and the 

 Pacific groups, extending to temperament, culture, and physical 

 traits" (" American Race," p. 58). Now, when it is remembered 

 that he classes the Mexicans, and, by the above-quoted language, 

 the Mayas also, with the Pacific group, it would seem that, at the 

 date the book referred to was published (1891), he was advocating 

 precisely the same view as that advanced in my letter to Science, 

 as he directly contrasts the Atlantic and Pacific groups as to tem- 

 perament, cidture, and physical traits, and holds that there was 

 very little communication between the people of the two regions. 

 He says further of the Mayas, that "So far no relationship has 

 been detected with any northern stock," but is inclined to look to 

 the Mississippi Valley for their priscan home. 



If Dr. Brinton still holds the view indicated in the above quota- 

 tions, which are from his most recent works, I cannot understand 

 the position he takes in his note to Science, as the one is in direct 

 conflict with the other. I have not appealed to the numerous 

 statements in his older works which differ from the views indi- 

 cated in Science, as it appears that in the light of new data, and 

 for reasons satisfactory to himself, he has, since 1887, entirely 

 changed his views in reference to the origin of the people of the 

 American continent and the course of migration so far as affected 

 thereby. (See "Myths of the New World," 3d ed., pp. 34-B5, 

 and Address at Meeting of A. A. A. S., Salem, 1887.) 



I may remark, in closing this communication, that it i§ very 

 singular the numerous resemblances between the customs and 

 arts of the West Coast Indians and Pacific Islanders, which de- 

 scend even to unusual designs, have no special significance and are 

 disposed of with the single word "illusory," while the resem- 

 blances in a few designs on shells and copper, though unusual, 

 are sufficient to warrant us in looking to the valley of the Missis- 

 sippi for the priscan home of the Mayas. Distance has, of course, 

 to be taken into consideration in deciding as to the signification 

 of these resemblances. What I assert is that the types of the 

 West Coast, including Mexico and Central America, taken as a 

 whole, have a more marked resemblance to the customs and art 

 of what we may call the Pacific region (especially the islands) 

 than to those of the Atlantic slope. This indicates, at least, a 

 culture influence affecting the inhabitants of the Pacific Coast not 

 felt on the Atlantic slope. And no theory, which fails to give it 

 more value than the mere coincident result of the " human psy- 

 chical development" can abide the test of thorough examination. 



Cyeos Thomas. 



The Lobatcheffsky Centenary 



October 32, 1893, a century will have passed since the birth of 

 the famous Russian geometer, Lobatcheffsky. The world is just 

 beginning to understand that, as mental ancestors of the modern 

 cientific theo*-y of man and the universe, only two take rank 

 with him, Copernicus and Darwin. Until 1826 nothing had been 

 published to overthrow the dogma that man has absolutely exact 

 knowledge of "the space of experience." Lobatcheffsky showed 

 that we can never know that any rectilineal triangle in "the space 

 of experience" has its angle-sum exactly equal to a straight 

 angle. As one result, geometrical axioms have disappeared for 

 ever, and are replaced by assumptions. Thus he re-made not only 

 mathematics, but kenlore. The Imperial University of Kasan 

 is justly proud of its pupil, whom it speaks of as "encompassing 

 it with an immortal splendor." It has organized a committee to 

 raise a Lobatcheffsky fund to establish, in honor of his birthday, 

 a prize, open to the world, for researches pertaining to non-Eu- 

 clidean geometry. As a member of this committee, I will be 



