170 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VII., No. 159 



active colony in so cold a country as Canada. 

 The United States, with its mixture of nationali- 

 ties, is another such region. The acclimatization, 

 however, is not brought about without consider- 

 able change in the mental life and characteristics 

 of the people. The Yankee is strikingly different 

 from the Englishman. The real sign of the 

 longevity of a colony is the relative birth-rate and 

 mortality as compared with that in the mother- 

 country. The general result is, that, the farther 

 south we go into the tropical countries, the lower 

 does the reproductive power of the colony become, 

 until in a few generations sterility is more and 

 more prevalent. Of this ,the Creoles are a good 

 example. The special cause of this degeneration 

 has been regarded by physicians as a lack of the 

 formation of blood, a general anaemia. This ex- 

 planation, however, is not final ; and a further 

 cause, such as the presence of micro-organisms 

 in the water, is to be looked for. The great 

 prevalence of liver-disease in such cases offers a 

 valuable clew. 



It is considerations such as these which make 

 us feel the want of thorough scientific research of 

 the conditions which control the foundation of 

 colonies. When these are known, it will no longer 

 be necessary to make sacrifices of thousands of 

 men in an idle attempt to make inhabitable some 

 desolate unfavorable region. The order of na- 

 tional adaptability to new environment we have 

 made out to be, first, the Jews ; then the Span- 

 iards, Portuguese, etc. ; then the southern French 

 and the northern French ; and lastly the Germans. 

 The remarkable immunity of the Jews is a ques- 

 tion of great interest. What share in this pecul- 

 iarity is due to their peculiar hygiene, choice of 

 food, devotion to the home sentiment or to their 

 occupation, is an open question. 



THE TRADE IN SPURIOUS MEXICAN 

 ANTIQUITIES. 



The present is a museum-making era, and fu- 

 ture generations are perhaps to be congratulated 

 that such is the case ; but this wide-spread fancy 

 for hunting and hoarding relics has given rise to 

 minor features greatly to be deplored. The in- 

 creased demand has given a considerable money 

 value to antiquities ; and this has led to many at- 

 tempts, on the part of dishonest persons, to supply 

 the market by fraudulent means. To such a degree 

 of perfection has the imitation of some varieties of 

 relics been carried, that detection is next to im- 

 possible. Doubtless in time most of the spurious 

 pieces will l>e detected and thrown out ; but in the 

 mean time they will have made an impression 

 upon literature, and upon the receptive mind of 



the public, that is most difficult to eradicate. In 

 view of these facts, it would seem to be the duty 

 of interested persons to publish, at the earliest 

 opportunity, all reliable information tending to 

 expose frauds and correct erroneous impressions. 



It is perhaps in stone, and especially in steatite, 

 that frauds are most frequently attempted ; but 

 the potter's art has not escaped, and most of our 

 collections contain specimens illustrating the skill 

 of the modern artisan and the carelessness of 

 collectors. Although we need not go beyond our 

 own borders for illustrations of this statement, I 

 wish here to call attention to some examples from 

 Mexico. In pre-Columbian times the native potter 

 of that country had reached a high degree of skill 

 in the handling of clay ; and Spanish influence 

 has not been sufficiently strong to greatly change 

 the methods, or restrict the manufacture. It is 

 very easy, therefore, for the native artisan to 

 imitate any of the older forms of ware ; and there 

 is no doubt that in many cases he has done so for 

 the purpose of deceiving. A renewed impetus 

 has been given to this fraudulent practice by the 

 influx of tourists consequent upon the completion 

 of numerous railways. 



The variety most frequently imitated is a soft, 

 dark ware, sometimes ferruginous, but generally 

 almost black. The forms are varied, including 

 vases, statuettes, pipes, whistles, and spindle- 

 whorls, all of which are profusely ornamented. 

 One notable form is a vase modelled in dark clay, 

 and bristling with a superabundance of figures in 

 relief, which give a castellated effect. A large 

 piece recently acquired by the national museum 

 was designated a 'miniature stone fort' by the 

 collector, and a second piece could as readily be 

 called a Chinese pagoda in clay. 



The body of these vases is usually a short, up- 

 right cylinder, mounted upon three feet, and is 

 profusely decorated with incised patterns and 

 with a variety of ornaments, including human 

 and animal figures in the round. A row of fig- 

 ures surrounds the rim, giving a battlemented 

 effect ; and a high conical lid, surmounted by a 

 human figure, is usually added. The body of the 

 vessel is modelled by hand ; and the flatter portions 

 of the surface are rudely polished, and covered 

 with incised patterns. The attached figures are 

 formed separately in moulds, and afterwards set 

 into their places. Certain parts are further elab- 

 orated by means of figured stamps. After fin- 

 ish big, the vases are prepared for market by 

 burial for a short time in the moist earth, or, 

 more frequently perhaps, by simply washing 

 them with a thin solution of clay. The deposit 

 of clay is afterwards partially wiped off, leaving 

 the lines and depressions filled with the light- 



