Editorial. 7 



The paper upon " Early Chinese Writing " by Mr. Frank H. Chal- 

 fant, which has been published as Memoir No. i of Volume IV. of the 

 memoirs, has been distributed and has elicited from those who are able 

 to judge of its merits comments of a most favorable character. Dr. 

 Friedrich Hirth, of the Department of Chinese in Columbia Univer- 

 sity, says in a letter to the editor : "It fills a long felt gap in literature 

 on Chinese philological subjects, and I congratulate you for having 

 brought out a book which will be much appreciated by the scientific 

 world both in America and in Europe." A request has been pre- 

 ferred to the authorities of the Museum to supply copies of the work 

 to a number of colleges in China. This request comes from one of 

 the leading scholars of New York City. The editor cannot refrain 

 from expressing some satisfaction in view of the fact that he was able 

 in the city of Pittsburgh to make the Chinese types which were re- 

 quired in the composition of the work. In this task he was diligently 

 aided by the author, who, no doubt, will in coming years, recall the 

 long days he spent in the office of the Director of the Museum, en- 

 gaged in finishing with a file the bits of metal which were used. A 

 few years ago the production of such a work as this in Pittsburgh 

 would have been impossible. 



An extensive and well-illustrated Memoir upon his researches on 

 the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, by Mr. C. V. Hartman, is going 

 through the press and will shortly appear as Memoir No. i of the 

 third volume of the Memoirs. A number of plates illustrating ob- 

 jects of jade from Costa Rica and Mexico will be included in this 

 work, the objects figured having been obtained by Mr. Hartman him- 

 self or having been acquired as parts of the Velasco collections pur- 

 chased several years ago by the Carnegie Museum. 



