824 The American Naturalist. [September, 
As the scope of the Année is purely biological, psychologists have 
certainly no ground to complain of the treatment which their science 
receives: the entire section is conceived in a spirit entirely friendly to 
its claims as a distinct science, and is written for the most part by per- 
sons who rank high in the department. If any criticism were to be 
offered, it would be that it is not perfectly clear why certain depart- 
ments of psychology that are not mentioned do not deserve treatment. 
in this connection fully as much as certain others that are admitted. 
But to suggest this would be to look a fine gift horse in the mouth, 
and we can do no better than express our delight at the whole-hearted 
recognition which the older science has here accorded to the newer. It 
is to be hoped that the plans of the Année biologique will not be altered 
in this respect, and that in future the psychologist may always be able 
to trace the progress of research on the biological side of his depart- 
ment by simple reference to the pages of this annual.—H. ©. W. 
ANTHROPOLOGY.’ 
The Tomahawk of the North American Indian.—In regard 
to your inquiries concerning tomahawks in the United States N ational 
- Museum I would say that, in order to understand their structure, their 
function and the places which they supplied in the armory of the In- 
dians of the United States it is best to remember the following facts + 
Aborigines of this Continent seem to have understood all the ways of 
killing men and animals. Before the discovery they used both poison 
and fire to take life, and they had the three great types of weapon, 
namely : for bruising, for piercing and for cutting. Adrien de Mortil- 
let somewhere calls attention to the additional fact that each one of 
these classes of weapons, to-wit: bruising, piercing and cutting, is used 
in the hand, at the end of a handle, or thrown from the hand. You 
will see that underlying this division of Mortillet’s we have three 
methods of applying force. First, directly utilizing the explosive force 
of human muscle. Secondly, the additional impetus given to a weighty 
weapon by affording it a longer excursion in the air and the added — 
element of safety in that by means of a long handled bruiser, piercer 
or cutter the attacking one produces his effect at a greater distance 
from himself. The ballistic weapon, seldom thrown from the hand 
alone, acquires its velocity and additional force by means of a sling, 
throwing stick or a bow. 
1 This department is edited by H. C, Mercer, University of Pennsylvania. 
