70 Report of the President 



Nova Scotia was not neglected. Various small purchases and 

 gifts have enriched our collections from nearly every part of 

 the world. Very many scientifically valuable specimens are 

 undoubtedly in the homes of our friends and patrons. These 

 would be much safer and more generally useful if they were 

 in our collections. 



Through the Jesup Endowment Fund, five coordinated expe- 

 ditions were made by the Department of Anthropology, con- 



_ , tinuing the systematic study of the Indians of the 



Research . & , . J . 



Plains which has been in progress for some years. 



The field research accomplished by these expeditions was 

 highly satisfactory. The Curator visited the Pawnee in Okla- 

 homa for conference with James R. Murie, an educated 

 Pawnee of influence in his tribe. Under the Curator's direc- 

 tion, Mr. Murie is writing for the Museum an account of the 

 Pawnee societies. This is a much needed and valuable con- 

 tribution to the study of such societies which has been 

 receiving the attention of the department during the year. 

 Robert H. Lowie visited the Crow Indians of Montana and 

 the Hidatsa and Mandan of North Dakota where additional 

 information was secured concerning social organization and 

 mythology. Pliny E. Goddard visited the Beaver Indians on 

 and north of Peace River, Alberta, to determine whether 

 their cultural relationship was with the Plains Indians or with 

 the allied tribes of the North. Needed linguistic and mytho- 

 logical information was secured. Herbert J. Spinden spent 

 several months among the Rio Grande peoples in New 

 Mexico, continuing his studies undertaken in former years into 

 the religious and social life of the Pueblo Indians. Alanson 

 Skinner visited the western Ojibway and Cree of Manitoba 

 and Saskatchewan to determine their cultural affiliations. On 

 his return he stopped among the Menomini of Wisconsin and 

 was successful in securing an account of the Midewin, the 

 most important religious ceremony of that and neighboring 

 tribes. Gilbert L. Wilson continued his work of former years 

 among the Hidatsa. He secured much needed information on 

 agriculture and zoo-culture, two very important but generally 

 neglected subjects. J. R. Walker has continued to con- 

 tribute information concerning the Sun Dance and other 



