It would be an excellent thing to dissect and analyze the Swastika material we have found; to generalize and deduce from it a possible theory as to the origin, spread, and meaning of the Swastika and its related forms, and endeavor, by examination of its associated works, to discover if these were religious symbols or charms or mere decorations; and, following this, determine if possible whether the spread of these objects, whatever their meaning, was the result of migration, contact, or communication. Were they the result of similar, but independent, operations of the human mind, or were they but duplicate inventions, the result of parallelism in human thought? This investigation must necessarily be theoretical and speculative. The most that the author proposes is to suggest probabilities and point the way for further investigation. He may theorize and speculate, but recognizes what many persons seem not able to do--that speculation and theory are not to be substituted for cold facts. He may do no more than propound questions from which other men, by study, experience, philosophy, or psychology, may possibly evolve some general principle, or a theory pointing to a general principle, concerning the mode of extension and spread of culture among separate and independent peoples. When the facts shall have been gathered, marshaled, arranged side by side, and each aggregation of facts shall have been weighed, _pro_ and _con_, and its fair value given "without prejudice or preconceived opinion," then will be time enough to announce the final conclusion, and even then not dogmatically, but tentatively and subject to future discoveries. [Illustration: Fig. 313. POTTERY VASE FINELY DECORATED IN RED AND WHITE GLAZE. Maltese cross with sun symbol (?). Cat. No. 132975, U. S. N. M.] Throughout this paper the author has sought but little more than to prepare material on the Swastika which can be utilized by those who come after him in the determination of the difficult and abstruse problems presented. [Illustration: Fig. 314. GREEK CROSS REPRESENTING WINDS FROM CARDINAL POINTS. Dakota Indians. Tenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, fig. 1255.]