[7] COLLECTING ANTHROPOLOGICAL INFOEMATION HRDLICKA. 



All parts of the body, from all stages of life, are fit subjects for 

 ph3\sical anthropology, because racial, tribal, or other group diflfer- 

 ences are found in all of them. Thus far, however, but little attention 

 has been paid in the United States to anything besides the racial, 

 particularly Indian, skeletal constituents, and especially the skull, 

 objects which are of more general interest, more abundant, and com- 

 paratively easy of collection and transportation. But even with the 

 skulls and skeletons no systematic collection on a large scale, or a col- 

 lection comprehending all the important elements of the population, 

 has ever been attempted. All of this explains the condition of our 

 collections and should indicate the way to their improvement. 



There are two lines along which it will be necessary to proceed in 

 order to improve the efficiency of American collections in ph^'sical 

 anthropology, namely: 



(1) The introduction of systematic, comprehensive gathering and 

 exchanges; and 

 - (2) A general bettering of the method of collecting. 



Systematic gathering and exchanges are functions of the men in 

 charge of the collections, and can be brought to a proper degree of 

 efficiency by an association and collaboration of these. A general 

 bettering of the method of collection requires, in the first place, a 

 good, handy, and generally available manual of advice and instruction 

 to those collectors who can not be reached and taught personally. 



A number of ""Instructions" for travelers and anthropologists are 

 in existence,^' but there is none, especially in the English language, 

 strictly or sufficientl}^ devoted to collectors for physical anthropology. 

 The majority of these ""Instructions" are mainly systems of questions 

 in ethnology, while others approach more the character of text-books 

 on anthropometr3^ There is need for a guide to show all that physi- 

 cal anthropology needs, where and how the specimens can be secured, 

 how they are to be taken care of before they are received by the 

 Museum, and also what collateral observations are of importance in 

 connection with the specimens. 



«Broca, Pierre-Paul, Instructions craniologiques et craniometriques de la Societe 

 d'anthropologie de iParis. Mem. Soc. d'anthrop. de Paris, 2d series, II; also 1 vol. 

 in 8vo, Paris, 1875. — Broca, Pierre-Paul, Instructions generales pour les recherclies 

 anthropologiques a faire sur le vivant, 2d ed., 1 vol. in 8vo, Paris, 1879. — Instruc- 

 tions for Research Relative to the Ethnology and Philology of America, by George 

 Gibbs, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, No. 160, March, 1863. — Notes and 

 Queries on Anthropolog}^ l^ublished by the British Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, London, 1874; od ed., 1899. — Hints to Travelers, published for 

 the Royal Geographical Society, London, 1883 (5th ed.). — Anthropology, by E. B. 

 Tylor. — Instruction fiir ethnographische Beobachtungen und Sammlungen in Cen- 

 tral-Ostafrika, published for the Konigliche Museum fiir Volkerkunde, Berlin, 1896. — 

 W. H. Holmes and 0. T. Mason, Instructions to Collectors of Historical and Anthro- 

 pological Specimens, Part Q of Bulletin 39 of the United States National Museum, 

 Washington, 1902. 

 2727—04 2 



