March i8, 1920] 



NATURE 



75 



Time-reckoning of the 



UNDER the title, "Calendars of the Indians 

 North of Mexico " (University of California 

 Publications in American Archaeology and Ethno- 

 logy, vol. xvi.. No. 4), Miss Leona Cope has 

 collected and arranged a large amount of informa- 

 tion dealing with the divisions of time in use 

 among the Indians of North America, including 

 much linguistic material. The term "calendar" 

 must be taken in a very elastic sense, for the 

 Indian's power of keeping account of an interval 

 of time is usually limited to two or three years, 

 and never went so far, apparently, as even to 

 fix the number of days in a month. The only 

 general rule seems to be a complete absence of 

 uniformity, variations of system being found even 

 among the most closely related groups. The basic 

 period is naturally the lunation, indicated by an 

 expression which is related etymologically, with- 

 out exception, to the moon, and reckoned generally 

 from new moon, but in some cases trom full 

 moon. The month is sometimes divided into 

 "weeks " roughly depending on the lunar phases, 

 but very variable in length and number. In 

 general, the seasons are vaguely marked periods 

 not directly connected with the months, though 

 the latter are sometimes divided into a summer 

 and a winter series. When the wide range of 

 latitude in the area is considered, a corresponding 

 variety of practice is natural enough. Thus it is 

 not surprising that the Greenland Eskimo find a 

 convenient division of the day in the ebb and flow 

 of the tides, or that a Point Barrow Eskimo 

 should say that there are nine "moons," and after 

 that no moon, but the sun only. But the varia- 



North American Indians. 



tions within connected groups make the study a 

 complicated one. 



This appears especially in the attempts to con- 

 nect the series of months with the year. For the 

 most part, covering the whole of the eastern and 

 central region, there is no astronomical founda- 

 tion. There is no uniformity in the time of begin- 

 ning the year. In general, twelve months are 

 recognised and are designated by purely descrip- 

 tive names associated with some seasonal event. 

 Some tribes have thirteen or even more months, 

 but the mode of adjustment is quite crude, a 

 month being sometimes intercalated or omitted 

 only when a palpable discrepancy with the seasons 

 shows the need. Only in the south-west, along 

 the Pacific coast, and among the Eskimo of the 

 far north is an astronomical element introduced. 

 This takes the form of observing the winter sol- 

 stice ; the equinoxes, if recognised, are never 

 used for the purpose. A particular variation in 

 the naming of the months takes a numerical form. 

 This occurs on the Alaskan coast and further 

 south ; only two tribes have a complete system of 

 this kind, while a third is unique in combining 

 numbered months with a solstitial basis. Ritual 

 ceremonies are also represented in the names of 

 the months among western tribes. Apparently, 

 the Kaniagmiut Eskimo are alone in naming 

 months from the rising of the Pleiades or Orion. 

 Altogether the astronomical element in this com- 

 plex subject is small, and the present memoir, 

 which contains three maps representing the 

 regional distribution of different types or systems, 

 has its chief interest on the linguistic side and as 

 a study of primitive culture. 



THE premature death of Dr 

 Hewitt, Dominion Entomologist of Canada, 

 who succumbed to an attack of pneumonia, follow- 

 ing influenza, on February 29, is a serious loss to 

 biological science. To an aptitude for field observa- 

 tion cultivated from his earhest youth. Dr. Hewitt 

 added knowledge and skill in the latest labora- 

 tory methods. While eagerly devoting attention 

 to the numerous economic problems which came 

 before him, he always appreciated the necessity 

 for constant purely scientific research. He 

 worked, indeed, in the most favourable circum- 

 stances, and made the best use of his opportunities. 

 Born near Macclesfield in 1885, Dr. Hewitt 

 passed from the local grammar school with a 

 scholarship to the University of Manchester. After 

 graduating with honours in zoology, he was 

 appointed assistant demonstrator in that science, 

 and when a new department of economic zoology 

 was founded at Manchester, he became the first 

 lecturer. During this period he hired a green- 

 house and made an exhaustive study of the Hfe- 



NO. 2629, VOL. 105] 



Obituary. 



Dr. Charles Gordon Hewitt. 

 Charles Gordon i history of the house-fly, which formed the subject 



of his thesis for the doctorate. He was a pioneer 

 in such work in this country, and his general 

 results were eventually published in the form of 

 a Cambridge manual. At the same time he 

 undertook researches on the large larch saw-fly, 

 which was ravaging the plantations of the Man- 

 chester Corporation round Thirlmere. He was 

 also interested in the feeding habits of certain 

 insectivorous birds. 



In 1909 Dr. Hewitt was appointed entomologist 

 to the Dominion of Canada, and at once began 

 to organise laboratory work on the lines which 

 he had already proved successful. He also paid 

 much attention to the improvement of the law 

 relating to injurious insects. Gradually his 

 interests widened, until in 191 7 he increased his 

 responsibilities by accepting the pos* of consulting 

 zoologist to the Canadian Commission of Con- 

 servation. He took an active part in the work 

 of the Commission, ard contributed several 

 papers on the protection of mammals and birds 



