OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. 393 



male cousins, Ego a male, are my nephews and nieces, of my femtile cousins are my 

 sons and daughters, and their children arc my grandchildren. With Ego a female, 

 the changes are as before. 



My grandmother's brother is my grandfather ; his son and daughter are my uncle 

 and aunt, and the children of the latter are my cousins. The descendants of these 

 cousins stand to me in the same relationships as in the last case. 



Lastly, my grandmother's sister is my grandmother ; her son and daughter are 

 my father and mother, and their children are my brothers and sisters, elder or 

 younger. The descendants of these collateral brothers and sisters stand to me in 

 the same relationships as those named in the first branch of this line. 



For all practical purposes the lineal and first three collateral lines, which in- 

 clude the body of our kindred whose relationships are traceable, carries the system 

 as far as its ordinary use extends. These lines, however, neither exhaust its range, 

 nor reach the limits of its application. It extends to the fourth, fifth, and even 

 more remote collateral lines, without any limitation Avhatevcr upon its all embrac- 

 ing character, and without any change in the relationships of collaterals because 

 of their remoteness in numerical degrees. When the position of any given person, 

 with reference to Ego, is precisely ascertained, even though found in the twelfth 

 collateral line, the relationship of such person would be at once determined. He 

 Avould fall into one of the great classes found in the lineal and second collateral 

 lines. In other words, the system is theoretically xmlimited. 



It will be sufficient to pass through one branch of the fourth and fifth collateral 

 lines, proceeding from the parent to one only of his or her children, which will 

 give the following series: My great-grandfather's brother is my grandfather in the 

 second degree; his son is my grandfather; the son of the latter is my father, great 

 or little; his son is my brother, elder or younger; and the son and grandson of this 

 brother are my son and grandson. In the fifth, my great-great-grandfather's brother 

 is my grandfather in the third degi'ee ; his son is my grandfather in the second 

 degree; his son is my grandfather; his son is my father, great or little; the son of 

 the latter, is my brother, elder or younger ; and his son and grandson are my son 

 and grandson. 



In all of the preceding illustrations the collateral lines arc ultimately brought 

 into the lineal line, Avhich gives the tenth indicative feature of the Tamilian 

 system. 



Diagram Plate XIII. represents the lineal, and second, third, and fourth col- 

 lateral lines, male and female, on the father's side ; and Diagram Plate XIV. the 

 same on the mother's side, with Ego in both cases a male. Each line is restricted 

 to a single person at each degree. The second collateral line, which was shown in 

 previous diagrams, is retained for comparison Avitli the third and fourth. It wouid 

 require two others to exhibit the relationships of the same persons to Ego a female, 

 but the changes, as before, would be limited to persons in the horizontal line of 

 figures below Ego, and would be the same as indicated with reference to the other 

 diagrams. The explanations and mode of testing these diagrams are the same as 

 those previously given with respect to those illustrative of the Seneca-Iroquois sys- 

 tem. The only failure in the verification will be found when the relationships to 



50 April, 1870. 



