Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/568

 220 Journal of American Folk-Lore.

Maya and Malay-Polynesian Words." Out of these much-discussed inscriptions Professor Campbell makes quite a connected story, which must be read as he has written it in his own pages. — In the " Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History " (vol. xiii. pp. 99-103), Mr. M. H. Saville publishes an account of " A Shell Gorget from the Huasteca, Mexico." The specimen described and figured was found in the Huastecan region (in the vicinity of Tux- pan) of Vera Cruz, Mexico. This carved shell evidences a high state of culture among the Huastecas and " a near relationship with the Mayan mythology, which is indicated by the close resemblances noted between this figure and those of the codices." Mr. Saville compares the seated figure on the gorget with the Maize God of the Mayas. An interesting detail is the Swastika on the ear ornament.

GENERAL.

Domestic Animals. In "Globus" (vol. lxxvi. 1900, pp. 361- 365), Friederici writes about " Der Indianerhund von Nordamerika." The article describes the various species of dogs in use among the North American Indians and their employment by the aborigines.

Ethics. In the "American Antiquarian" (vol. xxii. pp. 149-156) for May-June, 1900, Mr. C. W. Super writes on " The Archaeology of Ethical Ideas." The essay elaborates the fact that "all modern languages contain a considerable number of words that have been in use for ages with but little change of form, but of which the ethi- cal significance differs widely from that which it originally had." Compare, e. g. y the present significations in the various languages of Europe of the representatives of the Latin virtus, conscientia, hu- manitas, honor; etc. And when one considers synonyms the field is widened indefinitely. The author appeals for careful studies on this head of non-Aryan tongues.

Language and Religion. To vol. vi. (pp. 273-284) of the "Transactions of the Canadian Institute" Rev. John Maclean con- tributes a paper on " Language and Religion," wherein the close re- lations of these two human institutions, among primitive peoples especially, are rightly emphasized. As the author remarks, " The religious ideas may be crude, and the system very imperfect, yet there is some form of religion of whose meaning we learn by a study of the native tongues." According to Mr. Maclean, the sense of God now attached to the Blackfoot Kinon (our father) is due to mis- sionary teaching.

Nature-Lore. Under the title, " Primitive Nature Study," Dr. A. F. Chamberlain publishes in the "Transactions of the Canadian Institute " (vol. vi. pp. 313-344) a paper dealing with the evidence that primitive peoples, the American Indians especially, had a deep

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