Decembeb 11, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



851 



present very imperfectly arranged. A 

 special feature of the opening of the Hall 

 is the exhibit of the series of Ganodonta, or 

 Edentates with enamelled teeth, which 

 demonstrate the early presence, if not 

 the origin, of this great group in North 

 America. 



Great attention has been devoted to the 

 labels, and most of the mounted skeletons 

 are accompanied by large water-color draw- 

 ings, executed by Mr. Charles Knight, which 

 convey an approximate idea of the living 

 form of these various extinct types. 



In the ethnological collections an at- 

 tempt has been made to elucidate all the 

 principal aspects of the culture of each 

 group. Consequently the material is placed 

 in geographical order, each cultural area 

 being treated as a unit. Whenever the col- 

 lections are sufficiently complete the follow- 

 ing subjects are illustrated: Physical types 

 of the people, the relations of man to na- 

 ture; manufactures and industries; house- 

 hold furnishings ; dress and ornament ; 

 travel; methods of obtaining food supply 

 by hunting, fishing, stock raising or agri- 

 culture; warfare; trade and barter; games 

 music ; plastic art ; social organization ; re- 

 ligion. This plan has been carried out 

 most fully in the largest and most impor- 

 tant collection that the Museum possesses, 

 namely, that from the North Pacific coast 

 of America. The larger part of this col- 

 lection was made by Lieut. G. T. Emmons 

 on his travels in southern Alaska during 

 the past 15 years. The culture of the In- 

 dians of British Columbia is represented by 

 material given to the Museum by Mr. Heber 

 R. Bishop and collected by Dr. J. W. 

 Powell, formerly Superintendent of Indian 

 Affairs of British Columbia. In the first 

 section of the exhibit, the relation of man 

 fco nature, the use of natural products is 

 illustrated. Objects made of cedar show 

 the multifarious uses of this tree. The 

 uses of other trees and plants, and, further 



on, those of animals, stones and metals, 

 are shown in the same manner. 



Life-size groups bring home the most 

 important and characteristic occupations of 

 the people. Thus we have one domestic 

 scene showing the preparation of objects 

 made of cedar. A woman is breaking cedar 

 bark which is to be used for making towels, 

 aprons or blankets. Another woman is 

 weaving a mat and rocking her baby, lying 

 in its cradle, which is suspended from a 

 cedar branch. A second group illustrates 

 work on the beach in front of the house. 

 There are men splitting logs and a woman 

 preparing to go on a canoe journey. 



Most of the other sections of the exhibit, 

 except one or two, require no further com- 

 ment. As far as feasible, dress and orna- 

 ments are shown on busts or full figures. 

 Thus a figure of a tattooed man will be 

 found; busts fitted with labrets, nose rings 

 and ear ornaments; a figure of a warrior in 

 full costume ; and these are supplemented 

 by the figures composing the groups. 



Special pains have been taken to illustrate 

 the principles underlying the convention- 

 alism of these tribes. One case is devoted 

 to the general treatment of the animal form, 

 while others show representations of the 

 same animal in various materials and on ob- 

 jects of varying form, thus elucidating the 

 influences of technique and of the form of 

 the object to be decorated upon the conven- 

 tionalized representations. In another sec- 

 tion objects illustrating totemism are shown, 

 while that of religion embraces the para- 

 phernalia of the shaman and of secret socie- 

 ties. 



The physical types of the Indians of this 

 region are illustrated by means of busts, pho- 

 tographs and skulls and skeletons. 



In this whole systematic exhibit, which 

 fills a series of eight pavilion cases, dupli- 

 cates which do not help to elucidate the ob- 

 ject of the exhibit have been excluded most 

 rigidly. These are combined in a study 



