REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 15 



It is gratifying to state that on arriving at Argentina and explain- 

 ing their mission the Smithsonian representatives were afforded by 

 the Argentinian Government, as well as by the Argentinian men of 

 science, all facilities needed for the examination of the specimens pre- 

 served in various institutions, as well as for the prosecution of their 

 field work. Professor Ameghino and his brother, Carlos, gave par- 

 ticular aid, accompanying Doctor Hrdlicka and Mr. Willis person- 

 ally for over three weeks along the coast from place to place where 

 the supposedly ancient remains were discovered. 



The researches occupied nearly two months. Every specimen re- 

 lating to ancient man that could still be found was examined, and 

 every locality of importance where the finds were made was visited 

 and investigated. The evidence gathered, unfortunately, does not 

 sustain a large part of the claims that have been made. The human 

 bones and the archeological specimens which should represent geolog- 

 ically ancient man agree in all important characteristics with the 

 bones and work of the American Indian; and the finds, while often 

 in close relation with early Quaternary or Tertiary deposits, bear, so 

 far as observed, only intrusive relations to these deposits. Further- 

 more, there are specimens the original sources of which are not so 

 well established that scientific deductions of great consequence can be 

 safely drawn therefrom, even though they present some morphological 

 peculiarities. 



The expedition secured numerous geological, paleontological, and 

 anthropological specimens, some of which throw much light on the 

 question of the antiquity of the finds to which they relate. These 

 specimens are being identified and described in the National Mu- 

 seum. Doctor Hrdlicka and Mr. Willis will present in due time a 

 detailed report on their investigations. 



Following the researches in Argentina, Doctor Hrdlicka visited 

 several of the anthropologically important localities on the coast of 

 Peru and made large collections of skeletal material, which will help 

 to settle definitely the racial problems of these regions, and will have 

 an important bearing on the anthropology of the western part of 

 South America. 



Further explorations and collections, necessarily limited, were 

 made by Doctor Hrdlicka in Panama and Mexico. In the latter coun- 

 try the principal results of the visit were the opening, at the invitation 

 of the Mexican authorities, of a highly interesting sepulcher in the 

 ancient ruins of San Juan Teotihuacan, and the making of a series of 

 casts from the remaining pure bloods among the Aztec descendants 

 in Xochimilco. 



The Argentina, as well as the Peruvian and Mexican, collections 

 have been transferred to the U. S. National Museum. 



