The bibliographical essay deals with the vital question of the capacity of American Indian communities to grow and prosper before they were introduced to European technology. Traditionally, scholars have assumed that aboriginal Indian populations were very small, and that their smallness proved their inability to cope with the natural environment. This bibliography cites 217 sources and studies that show much larger pre-Columbian populations than have hitherto been suspected. The materials, published between 1872 and 1976, are organized by subheading: peopling the continent; proto-historic population;history of epidemics; endemic diseases, warfare, and famine; depopulation trends; population recovery; demographic case studies; and enumerations. An alphabetical list of all works cited is included. All citations in the essay are keyed by means of bracketed numbers to the more complete information in the list. Preceding the list are two sets of recommended titles. The first is a list of five items for the beginner; the second is a group of 22 volumes that constitute a basic library collection. Works suitable for secondary school students are denoted by asterisks in the alphabetical list. This book can be useful to both beginning students and advanced scholars. (Author/NQ)