* 
‘1881 J Recent Literature. 43 
totally foreign to subjects connected with science. The time once 
was when a Naturalists’ Directory was a great desideratum, and 
the first edition of Mr. Cassino’s work was valuable, but since 
that time there has been a steady deterioration, and it seems that 
at present the work has degenerated into a means of collecting 
an annual assessment on all the naturalists of the country for the 
personal benefit of Mr. S. E. Cassino. —F. S. K. 
Suey Heaps 1n JAPAN.—No doubt many of the readers of the 
AMERICAN NaTuRALIsST observed in the issue for last September, 
a criticism by Prof. Morse on two recent publications on Japan- 
ese archeology. One of these publications, which is by myself, 
is entitled “ Notes on Stone Implements from Otaru and Hako- 
date, with a few general rémarks on the prehistoric remains of 
Japan.” It was published in the transactions of the Asiatic So- 
ciety of Japan, in February, 1880. The other publication to which 
Prof. Morse desires to call attention, is a handsome volume on 
“ Japanese Archeology,” by Henry Von Siebold,a gentlemen 
who, whilst residing in this country for over fifteen years, has 
for a considerable portion of this time made archzology a spe- 
cialty, and accumulated materials and information, as compared 
with which the works of all others are but insignificant. The 
only other recent publication on Japanese archeology is the 
memoir on the “ Shell Heaps of Omori,” by Prof. Morse himself, 
a volume full of most valuable material.- The conclusions which 
Prof. Morse deduces from his materials are probably not those 
which he would have arrived at had his visit to Japan been less 
flighty, or had he more thoroughly acquainted himself with the 
literature (European and Japanese) of the subjects about which 
he wrote. One conclusion to which Prof. Morse has come, 1s, 
that the shell heaps he describes are not those of the early Aino 
inhabitants of this country, but probably pre-Aino, and those 
who venture to put forward opinions which are contrary to his 
own, he evidently desires to hew and hack at until they are quite 
exterminated. As nearly all the workers at the archeological 
materials which are so profusely spread throughout Japan, have 
opinions which are opposed to those of Prof. Morse, the task be- 
fore him is extensive. In the shell heaps of Omori, Prof. Morse 
has found a number of human bones, and amongst these several 
fragments of platycnemic tibia. These bones are exhibited in the 
museum of the Tokio University. I may remark that although 
I and many others have made numerous visits to the Omor! heap 
and collected many basket loads of bones, we were not fortunate 
enough to find anything which was human. Speaking of the 
bones found by Prof. Morse, I remark in my paper referred to, 
“Tf such tibiz are characteristic of the Ainos, and I am assure 
that such is the case, we have here another indication pointing 1m 
the same direction,” namely, that the shell heaps in which these 
tibiz are found, are probably of Aino origin. This quotation 45 
