90 



NA TURE 



[Juve I, 1876 



But we must not forget that the science of language is 

 still a young science. Its followers are still engaged in 

 laying its foundations and testing their strength. The 

 problems that await solution are numerous and important. 

 So far as our evidence goes at present, it tends to show 

 that the languages of the world have sprung from an 

 infinite number of separate sources, but it remains to be 

 seen whether future discoveries will not reverse this con- 

 clusion. Then, again, there is the question of roots. All 

 comparative philologists admit that roots are the ultimate 

 elements into which language can be decomposed, but it 

 is still a question whether the roots discovered by the 

 grammarian once formed a spoken language, or whether 

 they are but grammatical figments which are the best 

 representatives we can obtain of the early condition of 

 speech. Equally disputed is the question whether the 

 different classes of language — inflectional, agglutinative, 

 polysynthetic, and isolating— are to be regarded as con- 

 stituting separate streams of linguistic development from 

 the first, or a single stream which has branched out into 

 separate ones. It is unquestionable that a large part of 

 flection can be shown to have had an agglutinative origin 

 it is also unquestionable that the phenomena of isolation 

 are to be met with in the inflectional language?, and the 

 phenomena of flection in the isolating languages ; but it 

 is asked whether this would have been possible if each 

 class had not had a definite tendency to flection or isola- 

 tion from its starting — a standard, that is, to which all 

 foreign elements introduced into the language were made 

 to conform. Such are some of the questions which still 

 remain to be answered ; and if we are to judge from the 

 rapid progress already made by the science of language, 

 the answers will not be long in coming. 



A. H. Sayce 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



Rudiments of Geology. By Samuel Sharp, F.S.A., F.G.S. 

 Second Edition. (London : Edward Stanford, 1876.) 



The author of this little manual, which is designed for 

 the use of schools and junior students, has evidently taken 

 considerable pains to make his work fairly represent the 

 existing state of geological knowledge. He has, more- 

 over, succeeded in conveying in simple language an 

 idea, not only of the conclusions attained, but of the 

 processes of investigation and reasoning, followed by 

 the geologist in his researches, and we regard the book 

 as well adapted to introduce a beginner to the study 

 of the science, and to prepare him for the profitable 

 perusal of more extended treatises. As compared with 

 some of the similar introductory text-books of the science, 

 which have recently been published, Mr. Sharp's manual 

 labours under the disadvantage of being somewhat in- 

 adequately illustrated, for we find in it only a {^^ dia- 

 grams and no figures of fossils. This second edition, 

 however, is certainly a considerable improvement upon 

 the first, and the division of Physical Geology has 

 received much more full and cartful treatment ; the extent 

 of the additional matter being sufficient to increase the 

 number of pages of the book from 126 to 204. 



South Australia : its History, Resources^ and Produc- 

 tions. Edited by William Harcus. Illustrated with pho- 

 tographs taken in the Colony. Published by authority 

 of the Government of South Austraha. (London : 

 Sampson Low and Co., 1876.) 



The nature of this handsome volume may be learned from 

 the fact that it has been prepared to accompany the speci- 



mens of South Australian products and industries sent to 

 the Philadelphia Exhibition. It contains a vast amount 

 of the most useful information on nearly all matters 

 connected with the colony, gives an excellent idea of its 

 present condition, and is likely to be of great use to intend- 

 ing settlers. Mr. Harcu?, who edits the volume, writes 

 also one half of it, treating of the social, political, and 

 industrial aspects of the colony. In a series of valuable 

 appendices. Dr. Schomburgk treats of the flora of South 

 Australia, Mr. Waterhouse of its fauna, Mr. J. B. Austen 

 of mines and minerals, while Mr. Josiah Boothby contri- 

 butes a statistical sketch of the colony, and Mr. Charles 

 Todd treats of its observatory and meteorology. There 

 are two very useful maps, while the illustrations are nearly 

 all good and interesting. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



[ The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 

 by his cotrespofidents. Neither ean he undertake to return, 

 or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts. 

 No notice is taken of anonymous communications.^ 



The Spelling of the Name "Papua" 



I QUITE agree with Mr. Whitmee's objections to English 

 orlhography of foreign words (see Naiure, vol. xiv. p. 48), 

 but in this case I intended to show at a glance to non- 

 linguistic readers that the accent in the word Papua must be 

 on the second syllable, and not on the first. The Germans write 

 " Papua," and pronounce " Papiia" (as they pronounce " Manliia," 

 "Padiia," &c.). This being wrong, and fancying that in Eng- 

 land the same mistake is often made, I wrote " Papooa," which 

 leaves no uncertainty in respect to pronunciation. I confess that 

 it would have been more convenient to retain "Papua," and 

 remark in a note that the accent must be on the "u." In a lin- 

 guistic work I should never have proposed " Papooa," but it 

 cannot be supposed that every reader of Naturk knows what 

 Marsden pointed out in 1812. In German I write " Papi'ia," 

 and perhaps the same mode would be the most convenient in 

 English. It is known that the French use " Papoua," the 

 Dutch " Papoea," the Malay " Papuwah." In these cafcs the 

 pronunciation may not be questionable, as it is in German and 

 English, if written "Papua." 



The most interesting point in Mr. Whitmee's letter is, no 

 doubt, the announcement of a comparative grammar and dic- 

 tionary of all the principal Malayo- Polynesian dialects; and those 

 interested in these studies will certainly be anxious to receive 

 such a valuable increase to their knowledge. 



Dresden, May 23 A. B. Meyer 



New Zealand Prehistoric Skeleton 



Among the " Notes" in Nature, vol. xiii. p. 196, just come 

 to hand, you give an extract from the Order Paper of the Legis- 

 lative Council of New Zealand concerning the remains of a bup- 

 posed "prehistoric man," regarding which a motion for an 

 inquest was tabled by Mr. Walter Mantell. As you correctly 

 report, this skeleton was excavated under my direction in the 

 so-called Moa-bone Point Cave, but it was not found in the 

 lower beds containing Moa- bones, but in a much more recent 

 formation, and to which I assigned a comparatively modern 

 date. 



You itate that "I hold strongly to the pala;olilhic age of the 

 deposits," but I am at a loss to conceive what ground you have 

 for such an assertion, and as I can only conclude ihat you 

 received your information direct from New Zealand, I beg to 

 forward you herewith for your perusal a copy of my pajcr 

 reporting the excavations and my views thereupon. 



With regard to the motion itself, which was treated through- 

 out the colony as a joke, it is sufficient to stale that Mr. Walttr 

 Mantell is the recognised jester of the Legislative Council, and 

 that even science does not escape his attempted witticisms. I 

 may add that the Hon. Dr. Pollen, the Premier of the Cokmy, 

 also treated the motion as a joke, and offered Mr. Mantell the 

 office of coroner for the proposed investigation. 



Although Mr. W. Mantell, F.G.S. , stated, when speaking' on 

 his motion (see Hansard, 1875, p. 548), that '^ he glotied in the 

 fact ihat he was not a scientific man, and he did hope he would be 

 able to go to his grave without incurring ihat disgrace ;" never- 



