Appropriate instruments, such as calipers, sliding scales of various styles, etc, are employed to obtain accurately the desired

measurements.

These measurements are entered on a card which contains photographs, full face and right side of head and profile, with a notation of peculiarities of feature, such as the nose and color of eyes, form of ear, etc, according to a definite system, and last a description of scars, birth-marks, and other peculiar marks. These three-the measurements of the body, the photographs and description of the person, and the distinctive marks-form the basis of the system.

The cards containing the data already referred to are put into file-boxes and classified according, first, to the length of the head, then by the width, by the length of the left middle finger, and so on, each subdivision being again divided into the small, medium, and large, each one having, of course, definite limits. By comparing the measurement of the head of the suspected recidivist with those of the cards on file and then successively eliminating those who have different measures of other parts, it is easy, of course, to find the card, if one exists in the cabinet, in which all the measurements will practically coincide, the final detection being made by the photograph and personal description and distinctive marks. The measurements therefore serve not only as a means of identification, but as an index to find the other data upon which the final decision is made.

M. Bertillon has published a recent (1895) edition of his work describing his system, in two volumes, text and album of plates. The principles remain unchanged, but the work is much expanded by very minute and exact directions for the required procedures. The difficulties in securing exactness in taking these measurements have led to the most detailed instructions, even to instituting a sort of drill, the motions of the person examined being made in three movements or times and each measure made from two positions of the examiner. A special chair is devised in which the subject sits to be photographed, and the instructions as to describing the personal peculiarities are most thorough and painstaking and illustrated, as in all parts of the work, with cuts and photogravures. The scars and marks come last and take a subordinate though important place. Only the marks found on the head, upper extremities, and trunk above the waist would seem from the instructions to be ordinarily recorded.

The United States Army system was, as I have said, probably suggested by that of Bertillon. The first scheme that suggested itself was the possibility of causing all soldiers to be vaccinated at some exact and unusual spot, and thus become marked as having been in service. Accordingly, a circular was issued by the Surgeon General in December, 1888, requiring that all vaccinations on soldiers should thereafter be made on the outer aspect of the left leg at a point four inches below the head of the fibula, and that every man be so vaccinated when enlisted or reënlisted. It was an ingenious plan, but unfortunately so many soldiers became disabled temporarily by the inflammation resulting from the vaccination on the leg that in December, 1891, the circular had to be revoked. The scars then made are of value even now as evidence of former service.

The failure of this scheme led to effort to see if the scars, birth-marks, moles, and other natural or acquired marks could be utilized as means of identification. In carrying out this plan, the third division of the Bertillon system, already described, that of distinctive marks, is amplified and extended and becomes the sole means of identification, and when classified by the regions of the body in which they are found furnishes its own index. No measurements are taken except of the height of the person and of the size of the marks, and no photographs made.

The Bertillon system is without question a thoroughly scientific one, most complete and comprehensive, and has demonstrated its thorough efficiency and adaptation to its purpose by the success with which it has been practiced for the detection of criminals and its extension to almost all civilized countries, including even Japan.

The United States Army system cannot be compared directly with it, for it was devised for the special needs of the army service. It is a sort of "short cut," to use a popular phrase; it is simpler, avoids the use of special instruments and of the camera, but will be shown, I think, to have demonstrated its value and sufficiency by the results it has accomplished. Let us see how it is carried out.

In accordance with orders issued in April, 1889, for every man who enlists or reënlists the medical officer makes out an outline figure card such as is here illustrated, figures 1 and 2. This card shows name and organization, age, height, and color

superimposed; and the architectural and decorative features and the inscriptions and modeling have been found to throw much light on the development of that partial civilization indigenous to America which has attracted all students of Peru, Central America, Yucatan, and Mexico. The paper was discussed at length. A few papers were, in the absence of the authors, presented by title only.

The meetings of Section H were highly gratifying in the number and excellent quality of the papers presented; it was the expressed opinion of several leading anthropologists present that, so far as the science of man is concerned, the Buffalo meeting was never excelled and seldom equaled in the value of the contributions, the wisdom of the discussions, and the harmony of the sessions; and the success of the meetings was a subject of frequent congratulation to Vice-President Fletcher and Permanent Secretary Putnam. It may be noted that a few titles submitted were, as is usual, rejected in Section H; and it is a matter of regret that some of these were afterward accepted and presented in another section, and, in one or two instances, foisted on the daily press, thereby conveying an erroneous impression concerning the real work of the Association in matters pertaining to anthropology and cognate subjects.

Through the action of Section H, the venerable philologist and ethnologist, Horatio Hale, was made a life member of the Association; and, on recommendation of the Section, a Standing Committee of the Association was appointed to consider and report on "The Ethnography of the White Race in the United States." The committee named by the Council consists of D. G. Brinton, chairman; J. McK. Cattell, W. W. Newell, W J McGee, and Franz Boas. A special committee was also appointed to promote the interests of the Section.

Detroit was selected as the place of meeting in 1897, with the expectation that many of the members will subsequently participate in the meeting of the British Association at Toronto.

The general officers elected are Wolcott Gibbs, President; F. W. Putnam, Permanent Secretary; Asaph Hall, Jr, General Secretary; D. S. Kellicott, Secretary of the Council, and R. S. Woodward, Treasurer. The officers chosen for Section H were W J McGee, Vice-President, and Harlan I. Smith, Secretary.

2

SCALE FOR MEAS

URING SCARS.

of hair and eyes, the latter according to the scale on a colored chart, and on this card, as the most important data, are entered the scars, tattoos, amputations, moles, including birth-marks, the location, nature, and size of the marks being accurately indicated, as shown in the above figures. Both front and back of the body, it will be seen, are represented.

On their receipt at the Surgeon General's Office, where they must be sent at once, these cards are filed alphabetically. Immediately on the desertion or dishonorable discharge of an enlisted man, a report of the fact is made to the Surgeon General. On receipt of this report the original enlistment outline figure card is taken out of the alphabetical filecase and transcribed on office outline cards, like the original card, except that the outlines are on the same side. This is done in order that a separate card (one to four are made) may be filed for each of the prominent regions in which important marks are found and because both sides, front and back, of the original card are utilized to save space, while this arrangement would be inconvenient for the office cards used for identification. The original outline card of the deserter is then returned to the alphebetical file. Transcripts are also made of the outline cards required to be sent in for every convict discharged from the military prisons or dishonorably discharged at a post. These office transcripts, of which I have said there are usually one to four for each man, are placed in one of two file-cases which are called the "transcript files," the arrangement of which is given in figures 3 and 4. It will be noted that the classification, corresponding to regions, is marked off by dotted lines on the figures on the outline cards. Scars form the most important group, and are arranged first as to location, L. B. head (left back head); R. B. head, etc; then according to height of subject, those upon individuals under 67 inches being placed together, etc. The scar-files, it will be