1864.] 
icles, or madri macchet, as they are 
here called, the general history is 
the same, and metamorphosis is the 
only cause to which we can reason- 
ably refer. 
In other departments of natural 
history, Italy —especially in the 
northern and central provinces—is 
not only rich, but is well represented 
in the principal museums. It is 
chiefly, however, in the preparations 
illustrating the comparative anatomy 
and physiology, both of animals and 
vegetables, that the extraordinary 
accuracy, ingenuity, and patience of 
the Italians can be best appreciated. 
These are truly wonderful, and they 
are quite without rival in Europe. 
Highly magnified representations of 
the developement ofa plant from the 
seed, a winged insect from the grub, 
or a chicken from the egg, are not 
unknown elsewhere, but at Florence 
and Pisa there is a profusion of 
illustrations truly marvellous. 
However we may consider the 
question, we shall find that the 
recent political changes in this part 
of the world are already bearing 
abundant fruit, in the liberation of 
the human intellect from the slavery 
that had so long weighed upon it. 
To say that there are great differ- 
ences of opinion, and that many 
persons even regret the old régime, 
is only to say in another way that 
the country is free. Everyone may 
and does safely and loudly express 
his own view of the government, 
and all proposed changes are freely 
discussed. It does not follow that 
the best measures are at once 
adopted, but this healthy and free 
discussion will certainly ensure the 
greatest ultimate good, while educa- 
tion and science in all depart- 
ments will not fail in securing 
their due share of attention when 
the excitement of politics has a 
little calmed down. ‘The acuteness 
of Italian intellect, and the elegance 
epually characteristic of this people, 
have still a great part to perform in 
the history of science. 
D. T. AnstepD, F.R.S. 
VOL. I. 
Notes and Correspondence. 
209 
Dahomey: its People and Customs. 
Wuypau, Sept. 2, 1863. 
Here Iam, on my return from Kana, 
where I was received by the King 
of Dahomey during the celebration 
of the “little customs ;” and I will 
now send you some information 
concerning this country. 
Whydah, or Ajudah, is the port 
of the kingdom, though about two 
miles distant from the coast. It 
has 8,000 or 10,000 inhabitants, 
governed by a “ yanogan,” who is, 
in his turn, ruled over by one of 
the princes of Dahomey. The in- 
habitants are robust, well formed— 
T might almost say handsome—with 
the exception of the head, which 
wants intelligence: that superior 
mark which the Creator appears to 
have denied to the negro race. 
There is, however, a wide difference 
between the morals of this people 
and those further to the south. 
Nothing is to be seen here calcu- 
lated to shock the eyes of a civilized 
man, nor anything objectionable to 
his ordinary habits. Nay, I can 
say more; there is positively in the 
Dahomeyans a sense of personal 
dignity. Unfortunately, one en- 
counters at every step traces of that 
Fetischism which arrests all pro- 
gress, and transforms a man natur- 
ally gentle into a brute beast. The 
principal deities worshipped by this 
people are—Lightning, or Fire of 
Heaven; the Boa, or Python; the 
Lion, the Tiger, and the Vampires. 
I visited the Temple of Serpents 
in this town, where thirty of these 
monstrous deities were asleep in 
various attitudes. Each day, at 
sunset, a priest brings them a cer- 
tain number of sheep, goats, fowls, 
&c., which are slaughtered in the 
temple, and then divided amongst 
the “gods.” Subsequently, during 
the night, they spread themselves 
about the town, entering the houses 
in various quarters in search of 
further offerings. It is forbidden, 
under penalty of death, to kill, 
wound, or even to strike one of 
these sacred serpents, or any other 
of the same species ; and only the 
P 
