'9\ Dr. Hodgkin on the Importance of Studying and 



variety in which the remains of this class have there been de- 

 posited. Hitherto the researches in this branch of the fossil 

 productions of the crag have been extremely limited ; but 

 I cannot help expressing a hope that the great additions now 

 made to our tertiary shells may be the means of drawing the 

 attention of geologists to those parts of the formation which, 

 though not containing the remains of Testacea in the same 

 profusion as the stratum at Ramsholt*, present fossils of a 

 no less interesting nature, and which would amply repay 

 whatever time and labour might he devoted to their investi- 

 gation. 



13, Devonshire Square. 



XI. On the Importance of Studying and Preserving the Lan- 

 guages spoken by Uncivilized Nations, with the view of elu- 

 cidating the Physical History of Man, By Dr. Hodgkin. 



[Continued from p. 36, and concluded.] 



IF the views of Dr. Von Martius are gloomy and calculated 

 to throw discouragement in the way of philological and other 

 researches into the origin and history of the American nations, 

 those of Dr. Lang, which are diametrically opposed to them, 

 may be thought to err on the other side. 



Dr. Lang has been induced to believe that America derived 

 its inhabitants from Asia through the Polynesian Islands. 

 He appears successfully to get over the difficulty which would 

 probably be the first to suggest itself in the way of this opi- 

 nion, namely, that the course which he contends for would 

 be opposed to the direction of wind and current. He brings 

 forward the evidence of several distinguished navigators to 

 prove that westerly winds and currents are of sufficient fre- 

 quency and duration to allow of canoes and other vessels 

 being carried by them from the Polynesian Islands to the 

 western coast of America. This difficulty being set aside, the 

 Doctor supports the probability of his hypothesis by setting 

 forth various points on which the American nations exhibit a 

 resemblance or affinity to the Polynesian Islanders. Even the 

 languages of America, which are so numerous and so peculiar, 

 instead of presenting an insuperable difficulty, have furnished 

 Dr. Lang with a few arguments in his favour. Many of the 



* The coralline crag at Ramsholt has been so undermined, that it is 

 now very difficult of access. In the adjoining parish, Sutton, there is a 

 quarry on the farm of Mr. Colchester of Ipswich, who politely affords 

 every facility to those who are desirous of visiting it. 



