G. GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY. 331 



parallels of culture he passes from tribes of the Old World 

 to those of the New, somewhat similarly to the plan pursued 

 by E. B. Tylor in tracing the growth of culture, and by 

 Colonel Lane Fox in following the evolution of implements 

 and weapons. He regards, for philological purposes, Egyp- 

 tian, Sumero-Peruvian, Chinese, Thibetan, and Dravidian lan- 

 guages as protohistoric. 



In the prehistoric period an idea was represented by three 

 or four words, and a word stood for three or four ideas. We 

 find that words are interchangeable, and that it is necessary 

 to study their morphology for the purpose of understanding 

 the equivalents or real connection of roots in various lan- 

 guages. In no department is this better illustrated than in 

 animal names. Thus, among the Aryans, fire, dog, tiger, 

 sun, star, and snake all conform, on the basis of their de- 

 vouring every thing which they seize. Of this theory the 

 author adduces numerous illustrations. In addition to re- 

 semblances of language between the continents, the author 

 enforces his opinions by parallels of racial characters, by 

 similar customs, by their works, and by their religious ob- 

 servances. 



THE ANTIQUITY OF HUMAN REMAINS. 



Mr. Evans, in the discussion of the alleged circumstances of 

 the occurrence of human remains in deposits indicating the 

 existence of man prior to the glacial period, is of the opinion 

 that the human fibula found in the Victoria Cave, near Settle, 

 England, is hardly enough to prove such antiquity, as this 

 may possibly have been accidentally redeposited at a later 

 period. Mr. Geikie, however, insists that the paleolithic de- 

 posits are in no way post-glacial, but are generally of pre- 

 glacial and interglacial age. Mr. Evans is of the opinion 

 that, although the evidence so far is not yet satisfactory, 

 there is no reason why better may not be found, and he 

 thinks that this is to be sought for in a warmer climate and 

 among a more luxuriant vegetation. 13 ^4, ^4pn7 24, 1875, 

 431. 



THE SEMANGS, A PRIMITIVE RACE IN INDIA. 



The Russian Geographical Society has received a letter 

 from Mr. Miklucho-Maklay, from Singapore, dated April 13. 



