In 1879 Congress consolidated the various surveys, including that of the
Rocky Mountain Region, into the United States Geological Survey, but
made provision for continuing the publication of the Contributions to
North American Ethnology under the direction of the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution, and directed that the ethnologic material in
Major Powell's hands be turned over to the Institution. Thus the Bureau
of Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution was organized, and Major
Powell was placed at its head.

By this time the growing interest manifested in the study of North
American linguistics rendered necessary the preparation of a new edition
of the Introduction. In the words of the author:

"The progress made by various students, and the studies made by the
author, alike require that a new edition be prepared to meet the more
advanced wants and to embody the results of wider studies. Under these
circumstances the present edition is published. It does not purport to
be a philosophic treatment of the subject of language; it is not a
comparative grammar of Indian tongues; it is simply a series of
explanations of certain characteristics almost universally found by
students of Indian languages--the explanations being of such a
character as experience has shown would best meet the wants of persons
practically at work in the field on languages with which they are
unfamiliar. The book is a body of directions for collectors.

"It is believed that the system of schedules, followed _seriatim_, will
lead the student in a proper way to the collection of linguistic
materials; that the explanations given will assist him in overcoming the
difficulties which he is sure to encounter; and that the materials when
collected will constitute valuable contributions to philology. It has