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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



A large number of collectors have visited the Archeologist's labo- 

 ratory bringing with them specimens for opinion and identification. 



Publications. During the early fart of the fiscal year the 

 Archeologist spent some time in editing and annotating the Myths 

 and Legends of the New York State Iroquois, collected by the late 

 Mrs Harriet Maxwell Converse. Some 133 printed pages were 

 added to the original manuscript which covered only 50. This 

 work, issued as Museum bulletin 125, has been received very favor- 

 ably by the press and by those interested in Iroquois ethnology. 

 With the Iroquois themselves it is regarded most favorably, which 

 is perhaps the best possible recommendation. 



Frauds. The Archeologist wishes to caution museums and col- 

 lectors against fraudulent specimens from Chautauqua, Erie, Cat- 

 taraugus and Onondaga counties, where such articles have been 

 offered for sale. In Chautauqua, Erie and Cattaraugus counties 

 the Archeologist has examined three collections containing imita- 

 tions of stone implements, some of which have incised pictographs. 

 Several frauds from the Cattaraugus Reservation are Indian made 

 without a doubt but are of quite modern manufacture. A number 

 of bowl shaped " mortars " in Monroe county were originally made 

 by a blacksmith 30 or 40 years ago for water vessels to be used 

 in poultry yards. Stone molds for mill machinery have also been 

 mistaken for Indian relics. 



ETHNOLOGY 



Progress in ethnological research has been specially satisfactory 

 and many valuable objects have been acquired. These accessions 

 include clothing, hunting implements, ceremonial objects, basket 

 maker's outfits, a silversmith's outfit, silver ornaments and a burden 

 strap in process with all the fabrics necessary for its completion. 



The great scarcity of ethnological material on the New York 

 reservations makes it difficult to add much to our collections from 

 that source. Private collectors and museums have the great bulk 

 of Iroquois artifacts, save those which are buried ir their old vil- 

 lages. The Iroquois have lost many of their ancient arts, and most 

 of their old-time costumes and ceremonial paraphernalia have been 

 taken by collectors. The Indians have done little in the way of re- 

 placing these articles. Most of the ethnological specimens pur- 

 chased this year, however, were obtained from the Indians them- 

 selves. An especially noteworthy addition is the silversmith's outfit. 

 In the Archeologist's paper on The Silverwork of the. Iroquois the 

 following description is found : 



