346 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IV., No. 87. 



removed from man to his activities. Man progresses, 

 not by struggling for existence, but by means of bis 

 pursuit of happiness. Animals live each for itself: 

 man cannot live for himself alone. When animals 

 were domesticated, a great step in advance was taken. 

 By this means, and by the introduction of agriculture, 

 the gens was broken up, and tbe matriarchal system 

 changed to a patriarchal. Another great step was 

 taken when metallurgical processes were discovered; 

 then civilization was reached. Owing to the lateness 

 of the hour, Major Powell omitted a large part of his 

 most interesting paper. Speaking, as he did, with 

 the earnestness of intense conviction, he bore his 

 audience from argument to argument in a masterly 

 manner; and many warm expressions of approval 

 were bestowed upon the author. 



The opening paper on Wednesday morning, by 

 Mrs. Erminnie Smith, discussed in a very original 

 manner the formation of Iroquois words. She very 

 pertinently called attention to the fact, that most 

 students of Iroquois had contented themselves with 

 collating lists of words, while the more thorough and 

 useful method would involve a search for roots by 

 analyzing words; and the author had proceeded in 

 this way, and as a result made many curious discov- 

 eries. Certain errors in dictionaries of the language 

 were pointed out. The Tuscarora language, she 

 thinks, affords a key to the dialects of the other six 

 nations. Examples illustrating the formation and 

 origin of many words were given. The literal mean- 

 ing of many words in common use is very curious: 

 for example, tears are, literally, eye-juice; whiskey, 

 deformed water; agony, he eats up his life; a bank 

 is a money-farm, — the principal is the mother, and the 

 interest the baby. Birds are often named from their 

 note, other animals from some physical peculiarity. 



Following this was a long and most instructive 

 paper by Dr. A. Graham Bell, upon a race of deaf- 

 mutes in North America. Mr. Bell first called atten- 

 tion to the increasing prevalence of deaf-mutes in the 

 United States. He showed that the increase of deaf- 

 mutes was very much greater relatively than that of 

 other classes. In order to open his argument, he 

 asked the question, • How can we in the most sci- 

 entific manner establish a race of deaf-mutes?' In 

 answer to this question, he showed that no more 

 efficient means for the formation of such a race could 

 be set in action than just those which, from the best 

 of motives, philanthropy had used and was still using 

 for the benefit ( ?) of these unfortunate people. The 

 system of secluding deaf-mutes, so that they asso- 

 ciated only with each other; teaching them a special 

 language, so that they learn to think, not in English, 

 but in a language as distinct from it as French or Ger- 

 man, and thus lose largely their use of English, and 

 cannot express themselves well in written English, — 

 all this he strongly deprecated. He spoke of erroneous 

 ideas respecting the deaf and dumb, which are more 

 or less prevalent. In the education of deaf-mutes, 

 Mr. Bell would follow a different course from that 

 usually pursued. He would have this class of chil- 

 dren educated in the constant company of children 

 who can hear and speak, not reciting in the same 



classes, except in map-drawing and such subjects, 

 but in rooms by themselves, and yet mingling with 

 other children as much as possible. He would have 

 deaf children learn to understand what was said to 

 them, by watching the motion of the lips. He would, 

 so far as might properly be done, discourage inter- 

 marriage between deaf-mutes. He would have all 

 deaf-mutes taught articulation ; for, only by making 

 the attempt, can it be known who can and who 

 cannot speak. Professor Gordon of the Deaf-mute 

 college in Washington spoke at some length upon the 

 subject of Dr. Bell's paper, agreeing with the author 

 in many important points, but disagreeing with him 

 in others. He thought the deaf-mutes less isolated, 

 and the danger of forming an increasing race very 

 much less, than did Professor Bell. He also strongly 

 advocated the use of the sign language, at least in 

 elementary classes: when older, the vernacular may 

 well be used. 



The first paper of the afternoon was by Rev. S. D. 

 Peet, upon tribal and clan lines recognized among the 

 emblematic mounds. Following this was a descrip- 

 tion of a hitherto undescribed sacrificial stone at San 

 Juan Teotihuacan, by Mr. A. W. Butler. This is five 

 feet and a half square at the top, and six feet high, very 

 elegantly carved, the bulk of the stone being occupied 

 by a gigantic human head. The closing papers were 

 by Prof. E. S. Morse, who added still further to the 

 already great mass of information which he has given 

 us respecting the Japanese. The first paper, on arch- 

 ery in Japan, gave accounts of methods of arrow 

 release and the use of the bow, giving many inter- 

 esting facts. In his second paper, on the use of the 

 plough in Japan, Professor Horse showed some of 

 the forms of plough seen in Japan, and the manner 

 in which they were used. 



Thus closed a meeting which all the members of 

 the section agreed had been one of the most success- 

 ful ever held. The papers were, many of them, of 

 great weight and permanent value, and must form a 

 part of the standard literature of American ethnology 

 and archeology. The discussions were especially 

 notable because of the presence of eminent English 

 anthropologists, as Dr. Tylor, Dr. Syle, and others, 

 who freely took part, and added their store of facts 

 and enthusiasm. Not only were professional anthro- 

 pologists greatly delighted and stimulated by the 

 series of meetings ; but the large audiences which, in 

 spite of the very great heat, daily gathered in the 

 room assigned to section H, showed quite conclusive- 

 ly that some, at least, of the papers were of general 

 interest. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECTION OF 

 ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND STATISTICS. 



The section met in the hall of the Historical so- 

 ciety of Pennsylvania, Thursday morning, Sept. 4. 

 Gen. John Eaton, commissioner of education, was 

 vice-president; and Charles W. Smiley of the U. S. 

 fish-commission, secretary. On and after Monday, 

 Hon. Lewis H. Steiner of Frederick City, Md., acted 

 as chairman of the section, Gen. Eaton having been 



