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 Bibliographical Notes. 153

ful recognition accorded to Dr. Brinton's unselfish devotion to his chosen life work. Provost Harrison thought that to honor his memory no more worthy tribute could be given than the foundation of a Brinton Memorial Chair in the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Putnam, following these remarks, said that he trusted the suggestion would not be dropped, but that something tangible would come from Provost Harrison's words.

The choice of this place for the seat of the Brinton Memorial seems especially appropriate, since the University of Pennsylvania now possesses Dr. Brinton's valuable library, his own gift shortly before his death. The association of Brinton's name with the University from 1886, when the Chair of American Archaeology and Linguistics was created for his occu- pancy, may in this way be made permanent.

In order to accomplish the proposed plan it will be necessary to secure an endowment of fifty thousand dollars from individual sources.

Patrons of science and others interested in the endowment may apply to the Brinton Memorial Committee, 44 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston, Mass., where further information is to be obtained if desired.

Messrs. Drexel & Co., bankers, Philadelphia, have kindly consented to act as treasurers on certain conditions which will be explained to contrib- utors on application to the Brinton Memorial Committee."

��BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES.

BOOKS.

The Mythology of the Bella Coola Indians. By Franz Boas. (Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History. Vol. II. Anthropology. I. The Jesup North Pacific Expedition.) November, 1898. Pp. 127. Plates vii.-xii.

The brief work which forms the second issue of these magnificent me- moirs adds a remarkable chapter to the mental history of American races. The Bilxula, or by euphonic alteration Bella Coola, a small tribe linguisti- cally belonging to the Salishan family, inhabit the coasts of Dean Inlet and Bentinck Arm, two fiords situated in about latitude 52 north. At the present time, disease has reduced the tribe to a few hundred souls. The peculiarity of the mythology is described as its systematic character, in con- trast with the usually unsystematic form of mythologies belonging to the northwest coast.

The Bella Coola cosmogony assumes five worlds, a middle earth between two heavens and two hells. In the centre of the lower heaven is the house of the gods, called "The House of Myths," whence descends animate life. In this heaven the sun moves on a trail over a bridge ; in the summer he keeps to one side, in the winter to the other, and the bridge is wide enough to explain his annual variation. The solar rays are his eyelashes. This heaven is accessible from mountains. In some part (where is not men- tioned) is a skyhole, permitting to winged creatures passage to the upper

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