3. This is probably due to the greater vigor of the mothers. 4. This excess of boys is not entirely due to "prepotency" but at least in part to the fact that these mothers lose fewer boys than average women. 5. The same principle might conceivably be extended to explain all departures from chance distribution. ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS. NORTH AMERICAN ETHNOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL IN ITALIAN COLLECTIONS BY DAVID I. BUSHNELL, JR Considering the scarcity of early American ethnological material, and realizing how comparatively small are the collections of old objects of a perishable nature in American museums, it is with a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction that such things are met with in the older institutions in Europe. Brought here as curiosities by the explorer, the missionary, or the trader, at an early day—in many cases when the greater portion of the continent was yet held and occupied by the native tribes-various articles reached different collections where they were cared for and preserved, others were hidden away only to come to light by chance at this late day, as was the case with the two Mexican atlatls now in the Florence Museum. Probably there are yet other specimens, of equal interest and value, that may be revealed at some future time. The museums in Florence and Rome possess very rare and valuable ethnological specimens from North America. Some of these are of historic interest, especially the specimens from Mexico which appear to have been part of the collection sent to Spain by Cortés. But, as is the case in some of the older institutions, the collections mentioned are very incomplete, and regarding a number of the specimens nothing definite is known; consequently we can say only approximately where many objects were collected. As I have already described the two atlatls in the Anthropological Museum in Florence, above referred to, the first part of this article will be devoted to a consideration of the other rare Mexican objects in the several Italian collections. The ancient Aztec atlatl in the Kircheriano Museum in Rome is similar to those in Florence, being made of the same kind of wood, which is heavy and dark, resembling rosewood; but it is not 1 See American Anthropologist, 1905, VII, 218. so well preserved and the gold has been rubbed and worn away from much of the carved surface. The carving is in very low relief, similar to the larger of the Florence specimens. The decoration on the back is not divided into sections by transverse lines or ridges, but is composed of a single continuous group of figures and symbols closely connected. 2 The dimensions of this, which may be termed Specimen C (pl. xviii), are: The front of this specimen is more elaborately carved than either of the specimens in Florence. The hook is more massive and is carved in the form of a human head surmounted by a large headdress. Down each side of the groove are five human figures, standing, and facing inward. The great similarity of the three atlatls will be apparent to all who may compare the plates. All were undoubtedly ceremonial objects, as no actual weapon would have been so elaborately decorated and covered with gold. In addition to the two atlatls there are four other objects in Florence, which probably belonged in the first instance to the Cortés collection, one being an alabaster mask preserved in the Gem room of the Uffizi gallery, a small jade figure and an obsidian mirror in Professor Giglioli's collection, and the Codex in the Biblioteca. Nazionale. The mask (pl. XIX, a) is formed of a very beautiful piece of alabaster, light green in color. The greatest width is 155 mm.; When the two Florence specimens were obtained by Professor Mantegazza, they were in an old leather-covered case in which they had evidently been kept for many years. This may account for their more perfect state of preservation. her 2 It will be seen that these figures differ slightly from those given by Mrs Nuttall in paper, "Atlatl or Spear-thrower," published by the Peabody Museum in 1891. |
