Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 14, 1903.djvu/224

 202 Reviews.

the Christian hell. Of this latter Mr. Mew has selected thirty examples for illustration from various sources. The work is an instructive study in the evolution of religious ideas and of religious art. We should have been better pleased if it had been a little more methodical in style. It has the unpardonable fault of lacking an mdex. We hope the author may soon have the opportunity of amending these defects, and correcting some misprints, by being called upon to prepare a second edition.

E. W. Brabrook.

The Ethnography of Southern Mexico.

Physical Characters of the Indians of Southern Mexico. By Pro- fessor F. Starr. University of Chicago Press, 1902.

Notes upon the Ethnography of Southern Mexico, by the same author. Putnam Memorial Publication Fund, 1902.

Professor Starr in these two monographs continues his elabo- rate inquiries into the ethnography of Southern Mexico. The first paper is devoted to the physical anatomy of these people, and contains a valuable series of anthropometrical observations, accompanied, as is usual with American publications of this class, by an excellent collection of representative portraits.

The second paper will be of more interest to members of this Society, as it is devoted to an elaborate account of a peculiarly interesting group of tribes, headed by the modern Aztecs, the wretched survivors of a great conquering race. I select from this great collection of folk-beliefs the following as some of the most interesting facts.

During the Aztec funeral rites a great washing-basket, which must be new and never previously used for any ordinary service, is filled with articles provided for the dead, separate portions being allotted to each soul, and one added for those souls that have no surviving friend to make provision for them. " Flowers of the dead " are spread over it, and the corners are sprinkled with holy water, the " flowers of the dead " being used as an aspergillum. Cigarettes are also provided for the dead at San Martin, but at Tlaxcala " the souls are not supposed to smoke." This reminds us of the offering of brandy and water and cigars at