154 General Notes. [February, 



cember 22, and the Rochester Democrat- Chronicle of Dec. 18, 

 contain brief sketches of the author's life and labors. 



The work before us is not altogether new to students of anthro- 

 pology, portions of it having appeared in Johnson's Cyclopedia, 

 the North American Revitw, and the first volume published by 

 the Archaeological Institute of America. Nevertheless, there is 

 here the added charm of maturer deliberation and a homogen- 

 eous plan. Mr. Morgan's whole conception of domestic life 

 among our aborigines grew out of his theory of their social or- 

 ganization exhibited in the gens, the phratry, and the tribe. This 

 is made manifest in the various chapters on the law of hospitality, 

 communism in living, usages and customs respecting land and 

 food, modern edifices, ancient structures, and even in those relat- 

 ing to the mound-builders. 



The volume is profusely embellished and the illustrations are 

 exceptionally fine. The Naturalist is very hard to please in 

 this respect, and in giving unqualified praise to Vol. IV., passes 

 no empty compliment to the officers of the Bureau of Ethnology 

 who have superintended the work. 



The Calendar Stone. — Mr. A. W. Butler, Secretary of the 

 Brookville Society of Natural History, Ind., takes exception to 

 Mr. Palmer's conclusions respecting the Calendar Stone. Mr. 

 Butler spent several weeks in the city of Mexico and examined 

 carefully not only the stone itself, but all the surroundings. The 

 sides and upper surface of the stone are beautifully sculptured 

 and the carving is as old as that upon any of the other great 

 remains. Mr. Palmer has also misinterpreted the import of the 

 sculptures. The idea of its having been a millstone is preposter- 

 ous, all grinding having been done with the metate stones. Mr. 

 Palmer also falls into another error respecting the beheading of 

 victims, all authors agreeing that their hearts were cut out and 

 offered to their idols. This may not be the "Sacrificial Stone," 

 but all evidence points in this direction. 



Stone Image Found in Ohio.— Some workmen, while ex- 

 cavating the foundation of a machine shop at Newark, Ohio, came 

 upon an image of a bear, six inches in height, in a sitting posture. 

 It is made of a soft material found plentifully in the locality. The 

 left paw rests under the ear, the light paw on the abdomen. 

 Projecting from under the chin is the face of a woman. Below 

 the right paw is the inverted face of a man. Near the image was 

 a human skeleton and a conch shell. 



The American Antiquarian.— -With the October number the 

 Antiquarian enters on its fourth volume, and Iron, the indications 

 it is destined to live. Few persons know, however, what a great 

 and unremunerative labor it is to sustain a periodical of this kind. 

 The contents of the present number are as follows : 



