I have not thought it advisable to adopt terminations to designate stocks as distinguished from tribes. The Bureau of Ethnology has adopted for stocks the termination _an_, as “Algonkian,” “Siouian.” This frequently gives terms of strange appearance, and is open to some other objections. It would be desirable to have this question of terminology decided by the International Congress of Americanists, on some plan applicable to French, German and Spanish, as well as English, rather than to have it left to a local body or a single authority. My thanks are due Mr. H. W. Henshaw, editor of the _American Anthropologist_, for revising the list of North Pacific Coast Stocks, and various suggestions. I regret that I have not been able to avail myself of the unpublished material in the Bureau of Ethnology at Washington; but access to this was denied me except under the condition that I should not use in any published work the information thus obtained; a proviso scarcely so liberal as I had expected. _Philadelphia, February, 1891._ CONTENTS. PAGE Preface xi Table of Contents xiii INTRODUCTORY. RACIAL HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS. Theories of the Origin of the American Race. The “ten lost tribes.” The “lost Atlantis.” Fu-sang. Supposed Asiatic immigrations. When man first appeared in America. The Glacial Epoch. The Post-glacial Era. Oldest relics of man in America; in California; in Nicaragua; in the Columbian gravel; in the modified drift; in the loess and moraines. Man did not originate in America. Physical geography of the early Quaternary Period. Land connection of North America with Europe. Opinions of geologists. Remoteness of the Glacial Epoch. Scheme of the Age of Man in America. “Area of characterization” of the American Race. Permanence of racial traits. Cranial forms. Cephalic index. Os Incæ. Cranial capacity. Color. Hair. Stature. Uniformity of racial type. Mental endowments. Native culture. Gentile organization. Marriage. Position of woman. Agriculture. Domestic animals. Useful arts. Religions. Myths. Symbolism. Opinions about death. Medicine men. Languages. Linguistic stocks. General classification. 17-58 NORTH AMERICAN TRIBES. I. THE NORTH ATLANTIC GROUP. 1. The Eskimos or Innuit, and Aleutians 59-67 2. The Beothuks 67-68 3. The Athabascans or Tinné 68-74 4. The Algonkins 74-80