The San Francisco call., 1909-04-18

in what has since developed into a
journal of highest merit and of real
information scope and reputation.
This is "Anthropos. International Re-
view of Ethnology and Linguistics."
now completing its third year, and
edlted by Rev.. F. w. Schmidt.
S. V. d. (Societas Verdi Divini). Since
its first appearance, three years ago, it
has considerably enlarged its scope
being issued at present six times year
In handsome octave form. 1t is pub
lished at the famous Mechitaristen
press of Vienna
Anthropos is the only scientific re-
view which receives contributions in
six languages-German. French. Eng
ilsh, spanish, Italian and Latin. Al
most the entire series of articles have
been furnished by Catholic missionaries
Franciscans, LazaHsts. Capuchins, Mar
lists, Oblates, Fathers of the Divine
Word, Jesuits. as well as secular
priests and members of the Order Of
White Fathers and of the Society af
Foreign Missions, are among the coll
laborators. The articles, many of them
richly illustrated, are a mine of in
FORMATION on ethnology, anthropoIogy.
philology and sociology, as well as
comparative religion and folklore. Man
ners and customs, ceremonies at birth
death and burial, liturgies and Maria ge
rites, magic practices and superstitions
popular sayings. legends and traditions
ballad literature and inscriptions are
topics discussed by men who. in every
case, are in position to learn the facts
in the particular question chosen for
treatment.
rare Chaldean tablet, said to jndi-
cate a civilization older than that of
Egypt. has been acquired by the wal
ters Art gallery in Baltimore. vThis
tablet is held by no less an authority
than Prof Friedrich de Litzscb. the
famous German Assyriologist. to he
long to the oldest hieroglyphic period.
and IS taken as an indication that
ohaioean civilization may have pre-
ceded the earliest Egyptian.
On the stone are a number of nicto-
graphs--writing by means of pictures.
Two celebrated students of Assyriologv
Rather v Scheil and Professor de
L1tzsch, have recently based interest
ing dissertations and conclusions on n
According to Professor de Litzsch the
hieroglyphics OF Egypt show writing
IN more advanced stage than the
photograph Father ScheiI saws.
1t is one of the rarest finds of recent
years and opens up much mooted
question concerning the earliest ciyiIf-
zation OF man. Several rnilIenni,ns
must have elapsed before the picto-
graph gradually developed into the
cuneiform Characters"
notable gift has been made to the
Catholic university by Rev. Joseph M.
Gleason of Tomales, Cal Father Glea-
son has often enriched the university
with rare oriental works gathered by
him during his travels through the far
east He has now added to his pre-
vious benefactions by gift of valua-
bic manuscripts in Persian, Arabic.
Turkish and Hindustani.
The brilliant red cloth of the cardi-
nails robes. worn at the Vatican. has
been manufactured for many genera
tions by the same firm of merchants
at Burtscheid. near Aix-1a- -Chapelle.
The secret process for distilling the
dye is given by father to son, with
every precaution to prevent any out
slider from gaining possession of the
recipe. This family of cloth merchants
is of Huguenot descent, and are all
Protestants