In short, every fact bearing on the disposal of the dead, and correlative customs are needed, and details should be as succinct and full as possible.
One of the most important matters upon which information is needed is the "why" and "wherefore" for every rite and custom, for, as a rule, observers are content to simply state a certain occurrence as a fact, but take very little trouble to inquire the reason for it.
The writer would state that any material the result of careful observation will be most gratefully received and acknowledged in the final volume, and he would here confess the lasting obligation he is under to those who have already contributed in response to his call.
Criticism and comments are earnestly invited from all those interested in the special subject of this paper and anthropology in general Contributions are also requested from persons acquainted with curious forms of burial prevailing among other tribes of savage men.
In addition to the many references, etc, given by the various members of the Bureau of Ethnology, communications have been received from the following persons, although their accounts may not have been alluded to in this volume; should omissions of names have occurred it is hoped attention will be called to the fact.
The writer acknowledges with pleasure the assistance he has received in reading the proof of this volume from Mr. J. C. Pilling, Dr. Thomas W. Wise and Mr. R. W. Hardy.
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS.
E. H. ALDEN. DR. C. P. ALLEN. GEN. BENJAMIN ALVORD, U. S. A. C. C. BALDWIN. JOHN BALL. E. A BARBER. DR. JOHN H. BARTHOLF, U. S. A. LIEUT. E. M. BASS, U. S. A. LIEUT. ERIC BERGLAND, U. S. A. DR. E. BESSELS. JOHN HENRY BONER. DR. W. C. BOTELER. LIEUT. JOHN G. BOURKE. U. S. A. GEN. L. P. BRADLEY, U. S. A. WILLIAM N. BYERS. T. A. CHENEY. BENJAMIN CLARK. LIEUT. WILLIAM P. CLARKE, U. S. A. W. J. CLEVELAND. W. L. COFFINBERRY. J. F. CRAVENS. W. M. CUNNINGHAM. WILLIAM H. DALL. MRS. E. H. DANFORTH. W. H. DANILSON. WELLS DRURY. HARRY EDWARDS. REV. EDWIN EELLS. DR. LOUIS ELSBERG. LIEUT. GEORGE E. FORD, U. S. A. DR. EDWARD FOREMAN. CAPT J. H. GAGEBY, U. S. A. DR. W. H. GARDNER, U. S. A. ALBERT S. GATSCHET. FLORIEN GIAUQUE. G.K. GILBERT. DR. J. W. GIVEN. O. G. GIVEN. DR. P. GREGG. REV. SHERLOCK GREGORY. DR. FORDYCE GRINNELL. DR. J. F. HAMMOND, U. S. A. A. G. HENNISSEE. DR. W. J. HOFFMAN. COL. A. L. HOUGH, U. S. A. DR. FRANKLIN B. HOUGH. ROBERT HOWELL C. A. HUNTINGTON. DR. GEORGE W. IRA. H. P. JONES. CAPT. W. A. JONES, U. S. A. JUDGE ANTHONY JOSEPH M. B. KENT. H. R. KERVEY. DR. JAMES P. KIMBALL, U. S. A. W. M. KING. DR. J. V. LAUDERDALE, U. S. A. DR. J. L. LECONTE. GEORGE W. LEE. J. M. LEE. DR. RICHARD ELMHURST LIGHTBURNE, U. S. A. DR. REBECCA H. LONGSHORE. COL. G. MALLERY, U. S. A. DR. CHARLES E. MCCHESNEY, U. S. A. DR. AUGUSTIN J. MCDONALD. DR. J. C. MCKEE, U. S. A. DR. JAMES MCLAUGHLIN. DR. T. A. MCPARLIN, U. S. A. I. L. MAHAN. DR. F. S. MATTESON GEN. M. C. MEIGS, U. S. A. DR. JOHN MENAUL. DR. J. L. MILLS. R. H. MILROY. DR. RUDOLPH MUELLER. DR. WILLIAM M. NOTSON, U. S. A. FRANK M. OFFUTT. W. T. OWSLEY. CAPT. A. D. PALMER. DR. EDWARD PALMER. C. W. PARISH. GEORGE H. PERKINS. J. C. PILLING. CAPT. R. H. PRATT, U. S. A. HOSP.-STEW. CHARLES PRIMBS, U. S. A. DR. CHARLES RAU DR. J. REAGLES, U. S. A. R. S. ROBERTSON. DR. J. T. ROTHROCK, U. S. A. C. C. ROYCE. S. A. RUSSELL. C. W. SANDERSON. DR. B. G. SEMIG, U. S. A. LIEUT. CHARLES S. SMITH, U. S. A. DR. JOSEPH R. SMITH, U. S. A. JOHN A. SPRING. C. L. STRATTON DR. M. K. TAYLOR, U. S. A. W. H. B. THOMAS. GEN. CHARLES H. TOMPKINS, U. S. A. M. TOMPKINS. CAPT. E. J. THOMPSON, U. S. A. T. M. TRIPPE. S. S. TURNER. CAPT. FRED VAN VLIET, U. S. A. GEN. S. VAN VLIET, U. S. A. LIEUT. A. W. VOGDES, U. S. A. W. D. WHEELER. DR. C. A. WHITE. DR. W. WHITNEY. COL. CHARLES WHITTLESEY. EDWARD J. WICKSON. DR. B. G. WILDER. REV. JOHN P. WILLIAMSON. WILLIAM WOOD. DR. J. P. WRIGHT. S. G. WRIGHT. DR. LORENZO J. YATES. JOHN YOUNG.
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