Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22

grass was so tall that ] could not get
my hands on him. Every time l would
touch hi&l he would jump and wiggle
farther away. Then. all of sudden, to
my utter CONSERVATION, he Topped into a
snake hols. ] ran my hand down in the
hole after him. felt something move.
II touched my hand. and you can just
bet my hand came out of that hole more
rapidly than il had gone in Close be-
hind 1t came big snake. did not even
attempt to argue the matter with him.
Indeed. / decided that ! didn't want that
fish very much anyhow. So l left his
snakss'lip in full possession Of my spec
kled beauty"
DIR. Ales Hrdlicka. curator of the divi-
sion Of physical anthropology, United
States National Museum. reports from the
Cral mountains by letter that his work
in identifying the native types of Mon
golia and Siberia is progressing we'll He
has acquired an excellent collection of
skulls and photographs. with which he
expects to arrive In this country about
the end of September. Dr. Hrdlicka in
tends to make comparative study of
the types of that region with the Amer
lean Indian for the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether there is any ethnogra phic
evidence for concluding that there is
racial kinship between the peoples
While returning from his explora tons
in Peru DR.. Hrdlicka stopped to make
similar anthropoiogical Investigations i'm
Mexico. where he found traces of a
unique system of irrigation reversed
practiced by the ancient Aztecs This
system consisted not of bringing the
water to the land. but OF bringing the
land TO the water. 1t appears that many
years ago the natives living along the
shores of Lake Xochimilco. 1.-THE Place
OF Flowers. conceived the idea of build
ing islands. which they called Gilman
pas, by sinking bound bundles Of reeds
so as to form submerged RATS Over
these RATS earth and alluvial soil were
placed. and on this more bundles of
reeds We're piled in turn. until actual
islands began to appear.
81
Sometimes when these islands needed
reinforcement to prevent their washing
away or caving in, willows were planted
near the shores TO form a firm bank
and boundary. The islands, of course
gradually sank from year to year, but
after being covered over with alternate
layers OF soil and reeds a more substan-
tial piece of land was formed, which
was capable of cultivation.
There are many of these artificial is
lands. varying in size from 10 to l2O
feet square. planted with fourishing
crops of corn. vegetables and flowers
Altogether, they present a scene OF re-
markable beauty and great delight to the
visitor. real earthly paradise. Laid
on as they are. in a regular manner,
each an individual blossomng garden
separated from its fellows by canals or
water lanes, through which pass the
canoes and dugouts of the natives on
the way 10 and from the market they
have Venetian appearance that is most
attractive
New islands are constantly being con-
structed and repaired today, just as
when the enterprise began wears ago
The Aztecs hold the town and lake In
their own right. 1t is not only a thrifty
but a most artistic little settlement, with
the homes and houses on the shore, the
farms end 6elda in the lake. Corn end