in many parts of Germany, in Denmark, Russia, Portugal, and Algeria. [A full account was given of these explorations.] Nothing of the kind has, so far, been found in Great Britain.

In the United States no specimen that can be classed with the custom under discussion has been discovered. In 1875, Mr. Henry Gilman described some perforated crania which he had exhumed from mounds on Sable river, but the aperture was, in each case, at the vertex, and unmistakeably produced on the dried skull.

The famous Inca skull brought by Mr. Squier from Peru, and presented to the Paris Society of Anthropology, exhibits a remarkable instance of trephining which the patient must have survived about ten days, in the opinion of Broca and Nélaton. The operation, however, was entirely unlike that of the neolithic age; two incisions, made apparently by a saw, were crossed by two others at right angles, thus removing a square piece of bone. Mr. Squier was of opinion that the skull was of undoubted pre-Columbian date.

Since the publication of Broca's papers on this subject, discoveries have been made showing that prehistoric trephining was sometimes practised on grown persons, and for diseases of the bones of the cranium. Another curious discovery was made of skulls (about twenty in all) in which an incomplete operation had been performed, the outer table, only, having been scraped away. A similar operation has in later times been recommended for the cure of epilepsy.

It has been suggested that the tonsure of priests was a perpetuation of this curious custom.

The conclusions arrived at by the writer were these:

1. The large number of perforated neolithic crania exhibiting cicatrized edges, establishes the existence of a custom of trephining.

2. The operation was performed on both sexes, and generally at an early age.

3. The purpose is doubtful, but from analogy it would seem to

have been for the relief of disease of brain, injury of skull, epilepsy, or convulsions.

4. The operation was probably performed by scraping; possibly by a series of punctures. It seems likely that the first was employed for children, and the latter for the harder skulls of adults.

5. Posthumous trephining consisted in removing fragments of the skull of a person upon whom surgical trephining had been performed.

6. Each fragment was to exhibit a portion of the cicatrized edge of the original operation; and the purpose was, probably, to form an amulet to protect from the same disease or injury, for relief of which the operation had been performed.

In reply to a question by Prof. Mason, Dr. Fletcher explained that the Inca skull appeared to have been perforated by some saw-like instrument, and that the operation was probably performed only a few days before death.

The President remarked that among Indians pathology consists of a sort of mythical zoölogy; that local diseases, such as sore eyes, boils, etc., are attributed by them to the presence of worms, flies, bees, etc., regarded as incorporated spirits. Their method of curing such diseases consisted, therefore, in making openings for the escape of these creatures. This was their conception of the efficacy of blood-letting, which was extensively practiced. The disease-organism escaped with the blood. Searing was resorted to for the same purpose, and a variety of punctures were made, differing in different cases. He suggested that all the cases of cranial perforation might be accounted for as so many modes of letting out the headache spirit or animal.

Prof. Gore stated that he had observed in the Medical Museum perforated skulls, containing within loose pieces of skull of larger size than the orifice, and which, therefore, could not consist of the piece cut out.

Dr. Fletcher thought that none of these various forms of skull perforations had any relation to the practice of trephining.

Dr. H. C. Yarrow then read a paper entitled SOME SUPERSTITIONS OF THE SIOUX INDIANS.1

The reader disclaimed presenting the paper as an original effort, the material having been furnished by Dr. Merritt, of the army, who obtained it from Mr. Wm. Everett, a Government scout. He considered that gentleman entitled to great credit for the account. Mr. Everett stated that the Sioux believe they go direct to the happy hunting grounds, after passing a great divide upon which their dead enemies attack them, and for this reason they need their horses, weapons, &c. If the spirit pass unscathed and reach the desired haven the friends who have gone before meet them, and all is joy. If they have lost members of the body, or been mutilated, all-is restored as before at this place. Their idea of sickness is that a bad spirit enters the body and must be driven out. If the patient dies he has been conquered by the bad spirit. The spirits of bad Indians are sometimes sent back to earth to do penance for their sins, in the shape of animals. The men are supposed to turn into buffaloes, wolves, and bears; the women into deer or owls. A curious example was given of a conversation which took place between Sitting Bull and a wolf in regard to the position of a herd of buffaloes. The awe the Indians experience regarding the whitetailed deer was described. It is thought that women become deer after death, and an Indian dislikes to kill one of these animals, for fear of hurting the spirit of his sweetheart. It is believed, too, that hunters have been found strangled by the white-tailed deer spirits, and a story was given in detail how a number of youth perished who were foolhardy in hunting them.

The President made the general comment upon the legends recorded in the paper that they appeared to have been largely colored by conceptions of white men engrafted upon them.

Published in full in the "American Antiquarian and Oriental Journal," No. XIV, Vol. IV, 1882, pp. 136–144.

The following paper was then read by Rev. J. Owen Dorsey: THE YOUNG Chief and the THUNDERS: AN OMAHA MYTH.

He entered it and Only once in a while

Once there was a great chief, who had a lazy son. In spite of all the advice which his father gave him he spent all of his time in eating and sleeping. He would neither travel nor take a wife. At length he had a separate lodge made for him. fasted for four seasons, speaking to no one. he took very small supplies of food and water, which his mother brought him. As he fasted, he saw a deity, who told him that he could do whatever he desired, and he thought that he would like to wear a robe of scalps; so he summoned the young men of the tribe, and made up a war party, which started in four days. At length they came to an old man, who was very poor. No one but the chief knew that he was a Thunder. They pitied him, and gave him some of their robes, etc. The old man spoke of giving them something in return. Just then his servant, a coyote, winked at the chief, who followed him out of the lodge. The coyote told him to choose the otter-skin sacred bag, when the old man showed him that and three others. They re-entered the lodge. The old man asked them which one of the four sacred bags they would take. The swallow bag would insure a return in half a day, with scalps, etc; the hawk bag would bring them home triumphant in two days; the third would keep them away a little longer. "As for this otter-skin," said he, "it is good; but it is old and worn." And, grasping the otter-skin, the chief said, "Notwithstanding that, grandfather, I will take that," and the old man was in a bad humor and scolded his servant. "No, grandfather," said the chief, "he did not tell me. I chanced to decide so." And the old man gave him a wooden club with the otter-skin bag. bag does whatsoever he desires, in spite of all difficulties. It kills a great many people. If you wish to kill all the people in any place, whirl this club around your head four times, and at the last time say 'Kau.' It will make thunder." The old man knew the desire of the chief. Four days after that the chief sent out four

"The owner of the

scouts. They found a village. When the party reached the village the chief told them that he was not seeking it, but something else. There were similar occurrences on three successive days. On the fourth day he sent out scouts again, saying: "Warriors, should one of your grandfathers be there, do not kill him." They met a buffalo, and, after some disputing, one shot at it, and the buffalo killed him. The survivors reported this to the chief, who said, "Did not I tell you not to harm your grandfather?" On reaching the body they buried it and passed on. The next day, after a similar warning, the scouts attacked a big wolf that killed one of their party; so on the third day, when they met a grizzly bear. On the fourth day they came to the end of the sky, which passed up and down very rapidly. Each time it went down into a deep chasm in the earth. The chief warned the warriors to jump across without fear. He was the first, and all but one followed in safety. One failed, and the end of the sky carried him down into the earth. So they went and went, for days. At last they saw a very high hill and a dense cedar forest. The men had become tired of journeying so far. "Well, warriors," said the chief, "we are going thither. We will then return home." Four scouts were sent out. They saw the smoke, but could not find the lodge. It was not till the fourth day that the scouts for that day found the lodge, which all entered. There sat a very aged man, with an unusually large head and plenty of white hair. (He was a Thunder.) The old man thought, "Though my brothers may have much trouble by going to so great a distance hunting for game, some men have brought themseives right into this lodge, where I can kill them with ease." The chief thought, "Whew! I have said that I would have a robe of scalps. I think that here is the very thing. I will have it." By and by another old man entered, bringing a black bear. He, too, had a large head, and his hair was very red. A third old man, with very yellow hair, came with a buffalo. The fourth brother, who had very green hair, brought the body of a man; and he who had red hair said, "Brother, have these men eaten?" "No, they