1884.] Anthropology. 105 
country than at present, and that the references in the sagas are 
quite trustworthy. ` 
On the 23d, a valuable communication was received from 
Baron Nordenskjöld. The celebrated navigator had directed that 
each member of the congress should be presented with an en- 
graved fac-simile of a map dating from before the year 1482, on 
which was represented Greenland and perhaps some outline of 
the northern portion of the continent. For various reasons, he 
argued that this map was the production of an Italian who had 
_ visited the Faroé islands. This chart and the subject in general 
were ably discussed at a later hour by M. Steenstrup and Admiral 
Irminger, who threw much light on the origin of the celebrated 
“map of Zeno.” The extensive voyages through the North- 
western waters by the Northmen were further proved in an ex- 
cellent paper by M. Brynjulfson. He recited an Icelandic poem 
of about the year 1100, which describes what is now known as 
Melville bay, and quoted a letter, still extant, of a priest, giving a 
narrative of his voyage in 1266 as far as what is now Smith's 
sound. The descriptions of localities in it are so accurate that 
they can be readily identified. 
How it happened that the really extensive geographical knowl- 
edge and profitable fisheries, colonies and commercial relations 
which the Northmen established with Greenland and vicinity 
between A. D..1000 and 1450 became neglected and at last for- 
gotten by themselves, was satisfactorily explained in a long and 
learned memoir by M. Valdemar Schmidt. 
_in the domain of archeology, two well-prepared papers on 
native American ceramics were presented by MM. Bamps and 
Rada. The former announced the important fact that all varieties 
and colors of American pottery, from the elaborate workmanship 
of Peru to the rude efforts of the hunting tribes, are invariably of 
One uniform pâte, not of several different colors or consisten- 
cies. Whatever differences there may be due to the mixing of 
the clay, to the burning, to external coloring, or other such ex- 
trinsic treatment. The decoration of native pottery, as well as 
the theory of aboriginal ornamentation in general, was discussed 
in an entertaining paper by M. Stolpe. 
It has long been known that various savage tribes perform an 
Operation on the skull similar to that called by surgeons “ tre- 
Phining.” The occurrence of this in several American nations 
was described by M. de Baye. : 
The changes of level in the different parts of the American 
Continent, and their effect on population, were shown by M. Vera, 
w brought together many striking facts to illustrate the vast 
Seologic oscillations which are in progress. 
I American linguistics, the principal contributions were a 
Paper by Dr. Rink on the Eskimo tongue, and some 
"Marks on the Kiché and Timucua by other members. The 
