680 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



among primitive peoples both in Asia and America. In order to classify 

 ol)iects and events which did not in themselves reveal their proper 

 assignment resort was had to magic. Survivals of these magical 

 processes constitute our present games. The identity of the games of 

 Asia and America may be explained upon the ground of their common 

 object and the identity of the mythic concepts which underlie them. 



i? 



A 



o o o 

 o o 



o o o 



O O o 



B>0 o o o o o o^° 



^ o o o 



c 



Fig. 1. 



NYOUT HP AN. NY OUT BOARD. 



Korea. 



Cat. No. 1856a, Museum of Archeeologv, University of Pennsylvauia. From Korean Games. 



These concepts, as illustrated in games, appear to be well nigh uni- 

 versal. In the classification of things according to the Four Quarters 

 we find that a numerical ratio was assumed to exist between the several 

 categories. The discovery of this ratio was regarded as an all-impor 

 tant clue. The cubical dotted die represents one of the implements of 

 magic employed for this puri)ose. The cubical die belongs, howevei, 



