1885.] Anthropology. IOIQ 
Texan Movunps.—Mr. Pierce, Episcopalian bishop of Little 
Rock, Ark., states that in the old bottom of Red river, south of 
its present course, between Rocky Comfort, Ark., and De Kalb} 
Texas, an extensive series of unexplored mounds can be: found. 
When he saw these mounds, while riding by in a carriage, they 
appeared to him of almost uniform size and flat on the top, about 
sixty feet wide and eighty long, with a height varying from eight 
to twelve feet. They were oval with the long sides lying parallel 
to each other, and a portion of them projected into the brush- 
wood, so as to be only partially visible. To state the number of 
these artificial structures is impossible, but it took an hours’ ride 
before he had passed the last of them. 
ANTHROPOLOGICAL COLLECTORS.—In every department of sci- 
ence one of the most valuable requisites is the collector. When 
his material is assorted and put away for research or put on exhi- 
bition for educational purposes, almost the only value which the 
specimens have is the little piece of papet he attaches to them. 
It is well known that specimens are assorted and arranged by 
certain classific concepts, such as locality, tribe, structure, func- 
tion, and evolution. Now, suppose a collector is going over the 
eastern, or the western coast of North America, and from one 
place brings a large quantity of mortars and pestles, from an- 
other, basket work in the greatest profusion, from another, pot- 
tery, and from a fourth, bows and arrows of a pattern which he 
regards as unique. These are brought home and laid on tables 
according to the locality concept. We see at once what a chap- 
ter in human history we can write. Tribe A grinds its food, 
tribe B does nothing but make baskets, tribe C has no other ves- 
sels but pots, and tribe D is altogether addicted to the chase. 
It is impossible to say beforehand to a collector, get this or that, 
for we do not know what he is going to find. If we say, get 
everything, or at least a sample of everything, he is at a loss to 
decide which to select. One very good rule for a collector to 
follow is, Perfect each observation, It is better to know all about 
something than to know a little about everything. “Blessed is 
the man that’s well smattered,” does not apply to collections. In 
the case of any human art whatever, it is essential to have the 
raw material, together with accurate descriptions of all the cus- 
toms and superstitions connected with its procurement and prep- 
aration. The next thing is to find out who are the agents, men 
or women? all or some? always or sometimes? everywhere or 
somewhere? This should be followed by the scrupulous pro- 
curement of all the tools used in all the steps from exploitation 
exchange or consumption. Nor would these be very useful 
without photographs, models, and descriptions of all the pro- 
cesses involved, without, in short, exhaustively answering the 
1 Bowie county, Texas. 
