which, besides being a cardinal point, the west, is the name of an ancient homeland lying supposedly in the west. Further, the Maori Mauru means the west wind, or the north-west wind, or the cardinal points west, or western, and north-west. (See also passages concerning Ur-printed Uru-in C. R. Conder, The Rise of Man, pp. 82-86; and references to Ulunui (=Urunui) in F. D. Fenton, Suggestions for a History of the Origins and Migrations of the Maori People, pp. 61-63.).

Another point worthy of note (p. 238) is the fact that the Persians, too, change "1" into "r." There are suggestions of trade with Greece, and Egypt, and the article is full of interesting items of information that awaken a hope that in other cuneiform tablets may yet be discovered some particulars describing adjacent regions, in proof or disproof of possible ancient Polynesian migrations.

66

Attention may be directed to The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 8. Parts 3 and 4, October, 1922, which contains a paper on The Discoveries at Tell el-obeid in Southern Babylonia, and some Egyptian Comparisons," by H. R. Hall. The locality lies about five miles west of Ur, and the paper is illustrated with map and plates shewing many articles of pottery, metal-work, sculpture, as well as implements of flint, obsidian, etc.)

Language: Journal of the Linguistic Society of America, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-3, March, June, and September, 1925.

Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, held at Philadelphia, Vol. 64, Nos. 1 and 2, 1925.

Smithsonian Institution, Annual Report, 1923, published 1925.

("The Origin and Antiquity of the American Indian," by Ales Hrdlicka. The tentative conclusion of the writer is that the American Indian has not the antiquity behind him that the inhabitants of Asia have, and that he probably represents a filtering from northern Asia by way of the partial land bridge of the Aleutian Islands and the approximating continental masses to the north. Well illustrated with photos of face and head types.)

Smithsonian Institution: Bureau of American Ethnology, Annual Report, 1917-1918, published 1925.

(The report consists of 28 pages, but it is accompanied by a paper on The Rite of Vigil in the Osage Tribe of American Indians," by Francis la Flesche, 636 pages, of which nearly 300 pages are in the Osage original. The rites are described, and the very many songs are given and explained, and are accompanied with their music.)

Smithsonian Institution: Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 78, Handbook of the Indians of California, 1925.

(A volume of close on 1000 pages, by A. L. Kroeber, representing the acquaintance and residence with the Indians for seventeen years; an exhaustive treatise, with many maps and illustrations.)

Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum. Proceedings of the U.S. Nat. Mus., Vols, 64 and 65, 1925.

University of California Publications in American Archæology. Vol. 21, Nos. 5 and 6, "The Uhle Pottery Collections from Moche,” "The Uhle Pottery collections from Supe," by A. L. Kroeber. Vol. 22, No. 1, “Archaic Culture Horizons in the Valley of Mexico," by A. L. Kroeber, 1925.

University of Pennsylvania, The Museum Journal, March and June, 1925.

(The March Journal contains continuation reports of further excavations in 1924-25 at Ur of the Chaldees by a joint expedition of the British Museum and the Pennsylvania University Museum. Ur of the Chaldees has some connection with the Pacific as it has been conjectured that the ancient name Uru of the Polynesian migrations, used as a place name as well as a cardinal point, may have some reference to this ancient Ur that flourished over 4000 years ago. The excavations, which have revealed buildings erected on the site of other and older buried buildings have yielded more than mere information about the structure now excavated-a temple of the moon-god Nannar, whose wife was Nin-Gal, and his priestess Bel-Shalti-Nannar, daughter of King Nabonidus. Tablets have also been found giving, in the cuneiform characters, the every-day business of the temple, as well as a fine stela or slab, five feet in width and perhaps fifteen feet high, carved on both sides with a series of historical or symbolic scenes ranged in horizontal rows. The stela was shattered, and much of it is missing, but it shews among other figures, the moon-god seated on his throne. This Babylonian god was more than a deity; he was also king and lord of the city, and besides his Priests he had his civil ministers and his court, and stewards to manage his estates. From the records discovered in the tablets it is known that there were, besides the Priests and their satellites, a Sacristan, a Choir-master, Treasurer, Ministers of War and Justice, of Agriculture and Housing, a Controller of the Household, a Master of the Harem, and Directors of Live Stock, Dairy Work, Fishing, and Donkey Transport. All these carried on their duties in the precincts of the temple, so that this is not a single building, but is at once temple, palace, and government offices, stores, and factories. It covered an area of 400 yards by 200 yards, and was surrounded by a heavy wall, so that it was a fortress also. Recent finds include a hoard of "documents" dating from the year 2000 B.C., and another very large hoard dating from 2200 B.C. These were almost all business documents, and shew that tithes were received from the inhabitants, and rents, in kind as there was no money, and for every contribution brought to the temple a clay receipt was given, and a duplicate kept in the temple. Every month a full balance-sheet of all returns was drawn up, with parallel columns shewing every farmer's contributions under various headings. The whole was most business-like and up-to-date in details. There are receipts for butter, barley, oil, sheep, cattle, etc., and, from the town-dwellers, for hides of all

kinds, gold, silver, and copper. In one chamber was found a furnace for melting the copper, and big jars full of copper scrap. Within the temple a main industry was weaving, and 165 women and girls were kept at work, and there are monthly and yearly accounts of the wool supplied to each, and the amount of cloth produced, with due allowance for wastage of thread in weaving. Servants sent on a journey were provided with letters of credit enabling them to get supplies in the various towns passed through -and this is a fragmentary picture of a civilization of 4000 years ago.

The point is that here were worked metals, pottery, architecture, sculpture, weaving, writing, more than 2000 years B.C.; and as it is surmized that from about 4000 to 2000 B.C., there was a great migration of peoples with Aryan affinities toward and into India, by way of the Panjab, if they came in contact with Ur of the Chaldees they came in contact with a people that could have taught them all the arts of civilization-unless they were as the Goths and the Vandals to the Romans and would only destroy a civilization that they despised. It is a fact to be remembered when seeking the conjectured continental source of the Polynesians.

The June number contains a popular account of the excavations and descriptions of the country, and has some good illustrations of the pavements of Babylon, the walls of Babylon, the ruins of Babylon, and two of the site and desert of Ur of the Chaldees.)

PACIFIC.
AUSTRALIA.

Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science. Index to Vols. 1-16, 1888-1923.

FIJI.

Na Mata ai vola i tukutuku vakaviti, Nos. 416, 418-421, August, October-December, 1925, January, 1926.

HAWAII.

Bernice P. Bishop Museum Publications

Bulletin 15: "Samoan House-Building, Cooking, and Tattooing," by E. S. Craighill Handy and W. Chatterson Handy; pp. 26, 7 plates, and many text figures, 1924.

Bulletin 16: Juan Fernandez and Hawaii, "A Phytogeographical Discussion," by C. Skottsberg; pp. 47, 1925.

(Discusses the plant-relations of the two regions.)

Bulletin 17: "Music in the Marquesas," by E. S. Craighill Handy and Jane L. Winne; pp. 51, 1925.

Bulletin 18: "String figures from the Marquesas and Society Islands," by W. Chatterson Handy; pp. 92, 1925.

(Many of these figures are comparable with Maori and other Polynesian figures. One, rurutu, is the same as the Maori ikiiki, but is produced by a slightly different (and simpler) method.

Another, hahaua, is the same as the Maori tahora, and is produced in the same way. Another, tohiau, worked by two persons, is the same as a Maori figure for which no name was known to the one producing it. Another, the catch kamo, is the same as the "Caroline Islands catch," and the figure, without the catch,

is the Maori komore.) Bulletin 19: "Hawaiian Fungi," by F. L. Stevens; pp. 189, 1925. Bulletin 20; "Tropical Cyclones of the Pacific," by S. S. Visher; pp. 163, 1925.

Bulletin 21: Report of the Director for the Year, 1924.

Bulletin 22: "Fishes of Guam, Hawaii, Samoa, and Tahiti," by H. W. Fowler; pp. 38, 1925.

Bulletin 23: "Archæology of the Marquesas Islands," by Ralph Linton; pp. 187, 15 plates, 1925. This is Publication No. 10 of the Bayard Dominick Expedition.

(A most interesting account of the stone platforms, tohua, and other stone structures, including carved figures sometimes erected on the platforms. There is much information regarding the skill of the Marquesans as workers in stone, and much comparative material, with notes on similar work in other parts of the Pacific.)

NEW ZEALAND.

Records of the Canterbury Museum (Christchurch), Vol. 2, No. 5, 1925.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

The Philippine Journal of Science, Vol. 28, Nos. 2 and 3, October

and November, 1925.

SCIENCE CONGRESS AT DUNEDIN.

(Jan. 28th to Feb. 1st, 1926.)

ANTHROPOLOGY SECTION.

The officers were: President, Dr. P. H. Buck; Vice-president, Mr. A. S. Kenyon; Hon. Secretary, Mr. H. D. Skinner.

The following papers were read: Dr. Buck, "The Value of Tradition in Polynesian Research," "The Toki-poutangata." Mr. A. S. Kenyon, "A Day on an Australian Stone Age Site," "Classification of Australian Stone Implements." Dr. E. C. Handy, "The Polynesian Oracle-house." H. Hamilton, "The Kaingaroa Rock-carvings.” F. V. Knapp, "Classification of Stone Adzes and Chisels from Tasman Bay." H. D. Skinner, "Rock Paintings of South Canterbury."

A discussion on the physical anthropology of the Tuhoe Maoris was initiated by Dr. C. Hercus. Dr. Buck, Prof. Shelley, and Mr. H. D. Skinner also took part.

The section co-operated with the Social Science section and attended the reading of papers by Prof. Shelley on "Rapid Transit and Social Revolution," and by Dr. Guy Scholefield on "The Racial Composition of White New Zealand."

There were discussions on all papers, and this proved, perhaps, the most valuable part of the congress.

On Saturday there was a sectional excursion to Long Beach and Murdering Beach, on which interesting material was collected. On Sunday the visitors were taken to Pipikariti. On Friday and on Monday there were demonstrations in the Ethnographic Department of the University Museum.

Much of the success of the meeting was due to the presence of Mr. A. S. Kenyon, whose contributions, both in papers and in debate, were most stimulating. It became evident that Australia has much to teach students of Polynesia, particularly in the matter of material culture.

HECTOR AWARD, 1926.

The Hector Award and Medal for 1926 have been conferred by the New Zealand Institute on Mr. H. D. Skinner for his work in anthropology. The Society tenders its congratulations to Mr. Skinner on the deserved honour won by him.