518 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. — [Vou. XXXIII. 
during his four years’ residence among them, it is to be hoped that 
he will furnish a more complete account of them than appears in the 
few pages of this paper. Reports from the missionaries stationed 
at the trading posts maintained near the head of the Mackenzie 
Delta, show that the germs of disease are frequently brought into the 
region in the bales of merchandise, particularly in those of second- 
hand clothing intended for the Indians. Count de Sainville observed 
that an epidemic influenza prevailed for two or three weeks after the 
annual arrival of the steamer with the “outfit” for the post. In 
order to be certain that this epidemic was due to imported germs 
and not to sudden changes of temperature that prevail during the 
month of July when the steamer arrives, he took a sealed zinc case 
in the month of September, 1891, to a camp about fifteen miles south 
of the post. A father, mother, and four children were in the camp 
in perfect health; to these the clothing contained in the case was 
given. The next morning the mother and two of the children were 
sneezing, and that evening the symptoms of the mother were more 
serious. The prompt use of camphor restored them to health within 
a couple of days. 
In the American Anthropologist for January, 1899, Miss Alice C. 
Fletcher gives an account of the ritual used when changing a man’s 
name among the Pawnees. ‘ Why an Indian changes his name after 
any important achievement, and why he never uses the personal name 
when addressing another, has not yet been fully explained ; therefore, 
any first-hand information relating to this subject will undoubtedly 
be welcome to students of anthropology.” The ritual was obtained 
from an aged Pawnee priest whose confidence had been gained by 
Miss Fletcher and her assistants. ‘Three facts were learned: 77st, 
a man was permitted to take a name only after the performance of 
an act indicative of great ability or strength of character, such as 
prowess, generosity, prudence, courage, or the like; second, the 
name had to be assumed openly, before the people to whom the 
act it commemorated was known; ¢Aird, it was necessary that it 
should be announced by a priest in connection with such a ritual as 
that described. The ritual is given in sixteen lines of the original 
Pawnee, followed by a literal translation and a free rendering in 
rhythmic form. F. R. 
