January 5, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



21 



In case A are the Tarascan terra-cotta 

 figures and stone sculptures secured by the 

 Lumholtz expedition. 



In case B, on the east end of the hall, 

 are original sculptures in stone from Copan 

 and Yucatan. 



In case N is a collection, also from the 

 Lumholtz expedition of pottery from the 

 ruins of Casas Grandes, illustrating a cul- 

 ture approaching that of the ancient Pueblo 

 people of Arizona and New Mexico. 



In three other cases at this end of the 

 hall, and several cases at the opposite end, 

 are various collections, including jadeite 

 ornaments, copper implements and orna- 

 ments, carved stone yokes, a lai-ge terra- 

 cotta human figure, and pottery vessels of 

 many forms, all illustrative of the culture 

 of several of the ancient Mexican peoples. 



Cases C and D contain the collections 

 made by Dr. Seler in Mexico and Guate- 

 mala, and presented by the Duke of Loubat. 

 In another case are terra-cotta figures of 

 great value found over a tomb in a mound 

 at Xoxo by Mr. Saville of the Museum ex- 

 pedition. A cast of the inscribed stone 

 lintel of the door, and many vessels found 

 with skeletons in this tomb, are most inter- 

 esting objects. 



The ancient Mexicans and Mayas had 

 many manuscripts or codices consisting of 

 picture-writing and of hieroglyphs. These 

 were on prepared deer- skin or on native 

 paper made of maguey fiber and coated 

 with a kind of white cement. Several of 

 these codices were sent to Europe soon after 

 the Conquest, and others have since been 

 found. They are of the utmost importance ; 

 but, being few in number and widely scat- 

 tered, they were of little use until repro- 

 duced in facsimile, so that every student 

 could have access to them for comparative 

 study. In the two cases in the center of 

 the hall, and in the frame over them, are 

 a number of copies of these important 

 records. For these the Museum is indebted 



to the Duke of Loubat, at whose personal 

 expense several of these manuscripts have 

 been reproduced in facsimile. 



There is thus brought together in this 

 Mexican Hall of the Museum the most im- 

 portant collection in existence for the study 

 of the ancient civilization of Mexico and 

 Central America. 



F. W. Putnam. 



Harvaed University. 



CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO COLLEC- 

 TIONS OF VERTEBRATE FOSSILS 

 3TADE BY THE LATE PRO- 

 FESSOR 0. C. MARSH. 



The following copies of letters have been 

 sent to the Editor of Science by Hon. 

 Charles D. Walcott, Director of the United 

 States Geological Survey. 



Department of the Interior, 

 United States Geological Survey, 

 Washington, D. C, May 5, 1891. 



The Director, 



U. S. Geological Survey, 

 Washington, D. C. 

 Sir: 



The large collections of vertebrate re- 

 mains in the charge of Professor 0. C. 

 Marsh, at New Haven, Connecticut, are 

 kept in the fire-proof Peabody Museum 

 building, and in a large storage shed ad- 

 joining. The method of recording is some- 

 what different from the other collections, 

 but it is very thorough and complete. 



In the field where the specimens are col- 

 lected a label is placed inside of each box 

 as it is packed. On this U. S. Geolog- 

 ical Survey is printed in bold letters. On 

 the outside of the box U. S. Geological 

 Survey is plainly marked before the boxes 

 are shipped. When received at Profes- 

 sor Marsh's laboratory in New Haven, a 

 record is made of each box received and 

 to each an entry number is assigned. This 



