1896.] Anthropology. 519 



had acquired the same habit, but confined exclusively to the so-called 

 " parlor " or " popping " matches. I never knew how he acquired the 

 habit— perhaps accidentally, by striking them with the beak or beating 

 them against some hard substance as he did much of his food. 



When given a match he always hopped to a chair- round and struck 

 it almost directly downward, fulminate "end on," and if it did not ex- 

 plode at once his blows were repeated rapidly until it ignited. He 

 would then drop it, spring away and watch it wonderiugly while it 

 burned. All matches about the house had to be kept from him. He 

 knew them by their odor, and would tear open packages to get them 

 out. On one occasion his mistress came in and found him with a box 

 from which he had ignited nearly three dozen. 



Mexico, Mo. 



ANTHROPOLOGY. 1 



Professor Holmes Studies of Aboriginal Archictecture in 

 Yucatan.— Professor W. H. Holmes in his recent visit to the Islands on 

 the east coast of Yucatan, the sites of Chichen Itza, Izamal and Uxraal 

 and certain shell heaps, near Progreso (See Archeological Studies 

 among the ancient cities of Mexico, by W. H. Holmes. Field Colum- 

 bian Museum Publication 8. Chicago 1895) has presented us with a 

 valuable and characteristically clear summary of the important archi- 

 tectural features of the Peninsular ruins. 



Eschewing archaeological investigation in such directions as those of 

 implements, pottery, metals, art, food, burial, etc., he fixes our attention 

 upon the stones used in building, the manner of dressing and laying 

 them and the purpose of completed structures. The detail- of tbia 

 subject casually referred to by Charnay and Waldeck and in the un- 

 indexed pages of Stephens, are summed up to together with certain 

 original observations and arranged in order, until we see the relation- 

 ship, in purpose that characterrzes the ruined structures in the region. 

 No demonstration has yet been made as to the kind of tools used 

 in carving the limestone of the facades and Professor Holmes like all 

 previous travellers, leaves the question unanswered. Neither does he re- 

 fer to Mr. McGuires' theory that the work was done with round ham- 

 But a block fortunately found at Chichen Itza, pecked on 



rtment is edited by H. C. Mercer, University of Pennsylvania. 



