226 General Notes. [February, 
_ArcHmorocicaL Lectures.—Glancing over the Boston Even. 
ing Transcript for November 25th, our eyes were attracted toa 
column headed “ Archzological Explorations in Ohio.” If on 
should read on he would discover that: “ The third lecture of the 
course complimentary to the subscribers to the exploring fund of 
the Peabody Museum, expended during the past summer, was” 
given on Thursday last at the museum, by the curator, F. W. 
Putnam. The ancient cemetery, with its singular ash pits near 
Madisonville, Ohio, formed the subject of the lecture. he 
“The next lecture will be given on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 
14, instead of Dec. 7, as formerly announced, and will be upon 
aoe Ancient,’ which is the largest earthwork in the United 
tate istik 
“ These lectures are free to all interested, but cards of admis- 
sion must be applied for.” Be 
othing would give the editor of this department more plea- 
sure than to play Captain Cuttle for all the arch@ologists, anthre 
po-biologists, comparative-psychologists, glossologists, ethnologists, 
technologists, sociologists and comparative-mythologists of our cout- 
try, in order to put intelligent students of anthropology on the 
track of the good things that are being accomplished and the 
good words that are being spoken with reference to the mat 
history of man. Pica 
OF THE Music or NortH AMERICAN INDIANS we possess Of 
an imperfect and scattering knowledge, for among the authors ot 
the subject a small minority only could boast of any acquire- 
ments in theoretical music. Now a recent writer, Theodot 
Baker, has in 1880 examined personally the songs and tunes% 
several of our Indian tribes, and has brought to bear on thi 
fair knowledge of musical theory, obtaining thereby many 
ous results. From forty-two songs and tunes, obtained ft 
representatives of at least twelve tribes, and appended to his 
lication: “Ueber die Musik der nordamerikanischen Wik 
ay 
F 
4 
$ 
common idea that Indian melodies cannot be expressed by 
musical scales and notes (p. 22 sg.). A large majority of 
tunes show a purely diatonic progress in their notes, and 
gamuts or scales, in which they move, are compat 
few in number. The majority of the melodies examined 
belong to the Lydian scale (cdefgahc’) and to the 
phrygian (ga hc’ d' e’ f g’)) but in very few of them. 
found a// the seven notes of the diatonic scale. Every! 
has the quint or fifth with its key note; one-half of them 
the major third or diatone, while the flat or minor third 0¢ 
a few only ; the fourth and the sixth frequently occut, ' 
seventh note is rather scarce. Although the Indian us 
1 Equivalent to our ¢ sharp and g sharp gamut-scale. 
Ed 
