The extreme variability of Zea Mays, while discouraging to the novice, will make collections of prehistoric maize particularly significant when this variability is at length understood and catalogued. In this connection, it is unfortunate that more well-preserved male inflorescences (corn tassels in common speech) are not represented in archeological collections. While they do not present as many diagnostic features as the female inflorescence (the ear) they are by no means to be despised, particularly since their variation is comparatively easy to measure objectively and exactly. The following account has been prepared partly as a demonstration and partly because these particular collections present features of general interest. Both are from expeditions organized by the Peabody Museum of Harvard University. I am indebted to Dr. J. 0. Brew for the opportunity of studying this interesting material and for much pertinent information. The two collections are roughly contemporaneous and according to current archeological practice in the Southwest would be dated at about 1000 A. D.' (see caption fig. 3 for exact citations). One collection consisted of twelve more-orless perfect tassels from Floating House Ruin on the Arizona-Utah border. The other came from a small cave at Alkali Ridge in southeastern Utah. As illustrated in plate 18, it consists of ten bunches of tassels neatly tied together with a strong withe, apparently of willow bark.' The tassels are all just barely ripe; the anthers are developed and little or no pollen had yet been shed. All are neatly laid side by side, pointing the same way. All were either originally trimmed or have subsequently been broken. To a, student of maize the most interesting feature of the collection is its comparative uniformity for technical characters, indicating a careful selection of seed stocks on the part of those who grew it. The plant-to-plant variation is no more than is found in such highly selected modern varieties of maize as Golden Bantam sweet corn or the white flour corn of the Hopi. It might be argued that the uniformity is merely a reflection of the innate lack of variability in a widespread primitive variety. On the contrary, such studies of plant-to-plant variation as have been made with Basket Maker maize2 indicate that it was high. After the collections had. been photographed, the tassels were moistened to make them less brittle and the more-or-less complete tassels were then scored for