AUGUST 12, I915| 
NATURE 
651 


dents of the various sections at this year’s meeting 
are :—Mathematics and astronomy, Prof. H. Fehr; 
physics and geophysics, Prof. C. E. Guye; geography 
and mineralogy, Prof. Ch. Sarasin; chemistry, Dr. 
F. Reverdin; botany, Dr. J. Briquet; zoology, Dr. 
M. Bedot; entomology, Dr. Arnold Pictet; anthro- 
pology and ethnography, Dr. Eugéne Pittard. 
StuDENnTs of the mythology of primitive races have 
hitherto mainly dealt with the problem from the 
point of view of folklore and philosophy. Many tabula- 
tions of the incidents out of which the legends have 
been built up have been made, but these have been 
as a rule merely mechanical. It shows the liberal 
definition of scientific research in the Geological 
Survey of Canada that it has published, as Museum 
Bulletin No. 16, an elaborate disquisition by Mr. 
Paul Radin on the literary aspects of North American 
mythology. When once we admit that in dealing 
with primitive mythology we are discussing litera- 
ture in the true sense of the word, it becomes inevit- 
able to apply to it the same methods of analysis and 
criticism that we apply to any modern ‘literature, 
paying due regard to the personality of the author 
or author-raconteur, his literary and stylistic pecu- 
liarities. The author of this paper deals specially 
with the theories of Ehrenreich and other German 
writers, who argue that there must be a single 
original and correct version of every myth. The 
essay is interesting and serves to modify in some 
degree current views of the methods by which this 
body of legend was constructed. 
In Man for August, the Hon. J. Abercromby 
describes the few remaining examples of plastic art 
from the Grand Canary. There is a little difficulty 
about some of the specimens, as a collection from 
Mexico seems to have been mixed up with local 
articles in the Museum of Las Palmas. One speci- 
men, perhaps the image of a goddess, seems to be 
of the steatopygous type, and another, showing an 
abnormal development of the biceps, may represent 
a wrestler. The steatopygous type cannot be 
Mexican, as this feature is believed to be absent in 
art from that country. As _ steatopygy prevailed 
among the Berber-speaking tribes of North Africa 
and the Sahara, and shows itself in some early 
figurines from the A2gean, it is possible that it may 
have extended to the Grand Canary. The examples 
illustrated are exceedingly rude, but they are interest- 
ing as examples of a very primitive school of art. 
In Folk-lore for June, Mr. W. J. Perry discusses 
Myths of Origin and the Home of the Dead in 
Indonesia. He arrives at the conclusion that the 
land of the dead, when situated on earth, is usually 
in the direction of the land whence the people who 
believe in it suppose themselves to have come. If 
the journey of the spirit be over water, a canoe for 
its use is generally provided, or in some cases the 
corpse may be actually conveyed to the homeland. 
When the home of the dead is a mountain, it implies 
that the tribe traces its origin to a mountain, and 
tree-disposal is often accompanied by a myth of 
origin from some kind of tree. Interment, he 
NO. 2389, VOL. 95| 

suggests, implies an origin from the earth, and the 
use of stone sepulchres implies a myth of origin from 
stones. These conclusions may be supported by the 
evidence from Indonesia, but they will not be accepted 
as of general application, and a treatment of the sub- 
ject from the comparative point of view is much to 
be desired. 
In Memoir No. 75 of the Department of Mines, 
Canada, Mr. F. G. Speck contributes an account of 
the decorative art of the Indian tribes of Connecticut. 
Much work has recently been done among the eastern 
Algonkin tribes, many specimens of their art indus- 
tries have been collected, and information has been 
procured from several aged Indians of the Mohegan 
and Niantic tribes of eastern Connecticut. The 
artistic capacity of these people is chiefly shown in 
painting on baskets, while decorative wood carving 
on household utensils and sometimes upon imple- 
ments was common, but bead-work was only of 
secondary importance. This monograph is therefore 
specially devoted to basketry, and the materials, im- 
plements, and designs are fully described. Some of 
this work is highly ingenious and beautiful, and the 
memoir may prove useful to the authorities of some 
of our technical schools. 
Pror. W. H. THompson, who occupies the chair 
of physiology at Trinity College, Dublin, has pub- 
lished a little pamphlet on ‘*‘ Food Values,” the pro- 
ceeds of the sale of which will be devoted to the 
Dublin University Voluntary Aid Detachment Hos- 
pital. It deals primarily with the food supplies in 
Ireland, but may be applied, so far as its chief data 
are concerned, to the food supply of any nation. In 
these days, when economy is so urgent, its appear- 
ance is very timely. It deals in clear language which 
“he who runs may read’”’ with the fundamental 
principles of diet. Mere weight is no criterion of the 
energy value of any food. The amount of water 
must be deducted, and many of the most expensive 
foods contain most water. After this the chemical 
constitution of the remainder (proteins, fats, carbo- 
hydrates, salts) must be considered, and, finally, the 
amount of each of the constituents which is 
digestible. The latter factor is much influenced by 
the method of cooking adopted. All these points 
are considered, and a number of useful illustrations 
help to elucidate the text. Emphasis is put upon the 
substitution of the cheaper forms of the more highly 
nutritious vegetable foods for those of animal origin. 
It is here that cooking (the weak point in many 
British households) is all-important. The bad or 
insufficient cooking of meaty foods does not pro- 
foundly affect their digestibility, although it influences 
their appetising quality, a by no means unimportant 
matter; but a badly esoked vegetable diet is not only 
destitute of the latter quality, but is very largely in- 
capable of being digested. We are glad to see that 
a number of useful recipes are given, which enhance 
the practical value of this useful pamphlet. 
THE economic resources of German South-West 
Africa form the subject of an article in the Bulletin 
of the Imperial Institute, vol. xiii., No. 2, just issued. 
