American ethnologist, born in Erie County, PA, on the 22nd of July 1857. At an early age he manifested a love for archæological pursuits, and assisted Dr. Charles Rau in the preparation of the Indian collections of the National Museum for the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, and was curator for the entire collection until the close of the exhibition. He went in 1879, as assistant ethnologist, with Maj. J. W. Powell’s expedition among the Zuñi Indians of New Mexico. Two months had been spent among them, when the expedition returned, leaving Mr. Cushing behind. He adopted the costume, habits and life of the race, and lived as an Indian for three years, studying their habits, language and history. In 1888 he conducted the excavations among the ruins of the ancient city of Cibola. Mr. Cushing has published several works on the Indian customs, Pueblo pottery, identification of Zuñi ruins, and other topics connected with the ethnography of the ancient Arizona Indians.
