Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/497

 Local Meetings and Other Notices. 1 49

obvious relation to the celestial phenomena of which the tale is an inter- pretation. The story is just such as would suggest itself to a hunting-folk. The Indian tale corresponds to the Greek in the usual manner, as much more direct and simple ; the Greek fables, in the course of culture develop- ment, have become inextricably interwoven.

Of parallelism between the American and Hellenic myths, there is no- thing left to be explained save identity of name of the constellation ; but in the latter, the Bear was only one out of many appellations. Thiele under- takes to show that the greater number of Greek star-names, including those of the Zodiac, are by no means primitive and traditional in their origin, but for the most part the inventions of later observers and mythopceists. At all events, it is certain that these names, and the stories attached to them, were in continual process of expansion and alteration. On the other hand, Thiele, like other scholars of Greek thought, forgets that the Hellenes stand not at the beginning of an independent development, but at a term of a mental activity of thousands of years, during which savage fancy was as freely imaginative as was that of the poets and mythographers whose fic- tions alone are extant. Perhaps if we knew just why the constellation was called the Bear, and all that was signified in the description, we should find ourselves in contact with a realistic picture something like that of American Indians. However this may be, the coincidence of name appears to me altogether too casual an indication for its explanation to require the sup- position of any intercourse of diffusion between the continents.

W. W. Newell.

��LOCAL MEETINGS AND OTHER NOTICES.

Boston. — Tuesday, April 18. The regular meeting was held at the Brunswick by invitation of Mr. and Mrs. George H. Leonard. The speaker was Mr. A. M. Lythgoe, of Harvard University, whose subject was " Arts and Crafts of the Ancient Egyptians." His lecture was illustrated by fine lantern slides.

Tuesday, May 23. The annual meeting (postponed by vote from April) was held at Miss Reed's, 184 Commonwealth Avenue. No paper was offered, in order that sufficient time might be allowed for the transaction of business. In the absence of Professor Putnam, Mr. Frank Russell pre- sided, and the reports of the Secretary and the Treasurer were read. The former showed that though the membership gain (13) exceeded the losses by death, resignation (10), a revision of the list made the membership smaller than a year ago. The Treasurer reported that the expenditure of the year had practically equalled the income.

The resignation of the Treasurer, Mr. Chamberlain, was accepted with regret, and the election of officers which followed resulted in the following choice : President, Prof. F. W. Putnam. First Viee- President, Dr. G. J. Englemann. Second Vice-President, Mr. W. W. Newell. Treasurer, Mr. R. B. Dixon. Secretary, Miss Helen Leah Reed. Council, Mrs. E. F.

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