96 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



object before and about liim an incomprehensible and awe-oompellirLg 

 mystery. Toitemisim was born and cradled in the savage's ever-present 

 sense of ra3'stery, whatever it may have since become, and any hypo- 

 thesis which ignores this feature of savage life must necessarily fail 

 in its purpose. In tliis all stud-ents of primitive pMLosophy will as- 

 suredly agree. 



The objections I have urged against Dr. Haddon's "suggestion," 

 apply with equal or greater force to the " guess '' of Mr. Lang, the 

 main feature of which is, that the names are always given " from 

 wiiJiout." Mr, Lang's line of arg-ument is as follows : — " At first the 

 human groups were 'anonymous,' that is bore no special designa- 

 tions. Every group would speak of itself as ' the men,' while it would 

 know neighbouring groups as 'the others.' But this arrangement 

 lacks distinctness. Each group would need a special name for ■each 

 of the neighbouring tribes." Mr, Lang does not mind how the name 

 arises. It may be given in derision, or it may be based on some 

 fancied or real group-traits of character, good or bad, or applied from 

 any cause whatever, provided only that it come " from without." This 

 is the vital point of his theory. The main support Mr. Lang offers 

 for this view, is gathered from the practices of modern English and 

 continental villagers. I have to admit that he gives us much interest- 

 ing information regarding the names of derision applied by the people 

 of one village to those of another, but he fails entirely, as far as T 

 have been able to see, to show us that these villagers called themselves 

 by these terms, or recognized or admitted them in any way. I was ray- 

 self born and bred in the west country and my recollection of these nick- 

 names is that the boys of one village would fight with the boys of an- 

 other just because they cast these names in each other's teeth. Mr. 

 Lang gives us a lengthy list of these village names, of which the fol- 

 lowing are examples: — 



Ashley Monkeys. 



Yarby Geese. 



Watworth Bulldogs. 



Fenton " Rooks. 



Wickley Tigers. 



Oakditch JPotato-grube. 



St. Aldate's Fools, 



Hillborough Mice. 



Miltown Mules (formerly " rats ") 



Loughton Cuckoos. 



But will Mr. Lang assure us that these villagers called themselves 

 by these names, or admitted them as applicable to them for a moment ? 

 I think he will find that they are invariably indignantly repudiated by 

 one and all. Mr. Lang eites the term " Eskimo " as another example, 



