1879. | Anthropology. 49 
lery meant to say, and did say, that the Aborigines of America 
have been overestimated in numbers, that many tribes have been 
partly or wholly destroyed by whisky, disease and persecution, 
that others, after the first shock of contact, had continued to 
increase, and that, on the whole, there is not much difference 
between the present number of Indians and that of the “ Discov- 
ery.” The main argument of Col. Mallery was to show that, 
since the “ necessary withering before the white man ” is a fallacy, 
all efforts to help him to destruction are cruel and unpardonable. 
We take great pleasure in recording the discovery of a large 
obsidian quarry, the largest yet found in America, in the Yellow- 
stone National Park. Near the head of the middle fork of Gar- 
diner’s river, in the north-western part of the park, deposits of 
this rock nearly 600 feet in thickness and of unknown horizontal 
extent, were found. The discovery is reported by Mr. W. H. 
Holmes, assistant geologist of the Hayden Survey, is reports 
the finding of whole and broken implements, flakes and cores in 
great abundance. 
In the November number of Science News, Dr. C. C. Abbott 
to realize the full benefit of their work. Such cautions are 
exceedingly timely, ae from one who. has devoted so much 
time in obeying his own instructions. 
Dr. Emil Schmidt, of Essen, contributes to Archiv fir Anthro- 
pologie, 1878, Parts 1, 2, an article of forty-two pages, on the 
re-historic copper implements of North America. The article 
is illustrated by three plates and fifty-three figures, and is abun- 
dantly furnished with foot notes referring to the best authorities 
on the subject. 
Through the kindness of Prof. J. Duncan Putnam we are in 
receipt of advanced sheets of the forthcoming Proceedings of the 
Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences, Quite a large portion 
of the volume is devoted to a description of Mound excavations 
by Messrs. Pratt, Gass, Palmerand Harrison. Mr. W. W. Calkins 
read a paper, Feb. 28th, on the Shell-heaps of Florida. 
Prof. Ph. Valentine has published Vortrag über den Mexica- 
nischen Calender-stein, gehalten am 30 April 1878, in Republican 
Hall vor dem Deutsch ges. wissenschaftlichen Verein. New 
Bit 1878. 
. G. Laurence Gomme, honorary secretary of the English 
fae ‘Lore Society, has written to the secretary of the Smith- — - 
sonian Institution asking cooperation in carrying out the aims of = 
the society. Perhaps there is no country where the facts of prim- 
itive culture are so easily accessible as our own. In addition to 
the fertile field offered by our aborigines, we have the negroes of 
the South, and the myth-preserving peasantry transported to our 
shores from all the lands of the earth. The NATURALI will be 
VOL. XHI,—NO, I 4 
