250 General Notes. [March, 



they can be obtained, the number of such applications indicating 

 that interest in silk culture is fast increasing through the country. 

 A small supply of silk-worm eggs will probably be at the dispo- 

 sal of the Department of Agriculture early this spring, and will 

 be distributed upon application. We learn also, from circulars 

 received from Crozier & Co., Bayou Sara, La., that they are pre- 

 pared to furnish eggs at the following prices : Annual Japanese, 

 $5 per ounce, $i per iooo eggs; the best yellow breed, war- 

 ranted free from disease, $6 per ounce, $i per iooo. The 

 eggs ought to be ordered early, or else there is great danger of 

 their hatching prematurely while on the way. A few eggs of a 

 special race, fed for eleven years on osage orange (Madura anran- 

 tiaca) by the editor, will be sent to a limited number of appli- 

 cants who desire to feed with this plant, upon application to him. 

 ANTHROPOLOGY. 1 

 Professor Rau on Cup-shaped Stones. — The distinguished 

 curator of the archaeological treasures of the National Museum 

 has just published a paper upon cup-shaped and other lapidarian 

 sculptures in the Old World and in America, which will form a 

 part of Volume v. in Major Powell's series of Contributions to 

 North American Ethnology. This monograph is in 4to, and 

 consists of 102 pages of printed matter, illustrated by 6l figures 

 on tinted paper. 



In archaeology, as in natural history, form and function have 

 to be studied separately, and each class of objects may be con- 

 sidered from the point of view of eilher. Furthermore, in all 

 anthropological investigations analogies are to be distinguished 

 from homologies. The work under consideration treats of a cer- 

 tain form in ancient sculpture, occurring in very interesting con- 

 nections in various parts of the world, viz., certain cup-shaped 

 excavations called pierres a ccuelles in French, and Schalcnstcinc 

 in German. Part i. is taken up with a comprehensive review of 

 the work of Professor E. Desor, entitled " Les Pierres a Ecuelles " 

 (Geneve, 1878); that of Sir James Y. Simpson entitled "Archaic 

 Sculptures of Cups, Circles, &c, upon Stones and Rocks in Scot- 

 land, England, and other Countries " (Proc. Soc. Antiq., Scot- 

 land, 1867); Mr. J. H. Rivett-Carnac's "Prehistoric Remains in 

 Central India" (Calcutta, 1879); and scattered references to these 

 sculptures occurring in Scotland, England, Ireland, France, 

 Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, and India. 

 One-half of the illustrations are taken from the works above men- 

 Professor Rau is very careful, while describing and figuring 

 excavations very similar in form and grouping, to keep in view 

 the fact that slight differences in detail combined with great dif- 

 ferences of location may point to widely separated functions. In- 

 » Edited by Professor Otis T. Mason, 1305 Q. street, N. W., Washington, D. C. 



