TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D.—DEPT. ANTHROPOLOGY. 573 
some of the ancestors of whom, as they were sailing in a boat, saw near a great 
waterfall the boughs of a tree touching the waters, and loaded with fruit. A 
Dyak climbed up the tree to see where its roots grew. He found out the enigma 
which is described in the Song of Odin, who hung nine days from a mystic tree, 
‘of which no one knows where its roots grow.’ The Dyak reached a heayenly 
country, ‘the land of the Pleiades, where he was taught agriculture, and other 
arts, by a kind being who dwells there, and then, bringing with him from the 
Pleiades the gift of rice or corn, he was let down by a rope from the seven stars, 
and imparted to his countrymen the mystic lore which he had learned by climbing 
that tree of knowledge.’ This waterfall recalls the waterfall of the river Styx, and 
the whirlpool of the Haida tradition; also the whirlpool of Scylla and Charybdis, 
over which hung a great fig tree. A great number of interesting points were 
adduced connecting the primitive traditions of the natives of America and Polynesia 
with those of the Old World. The three Graces were, among the Iroquois, three 
loving sisters in the Pleiades, the spirits of the bean, the squash, and maize, their 
gifts to mortals. They are called ‘Our Life, our Supporters’—the very words 
addressed to the spirit of agriculture in Mexico, and to this day in the Atlas 
country. The Lycian women of old invoked the bull to come and bring the 
Graces with him; and the bull of the mysteries is represented with the three 
Graces on its head, and the Pleiades following them. This referred to the constel- 
lation Taurus, or the bull, in which the Pleiades were placed. When ‘the bull 
with its white horns opened the year,’ it brought, all over the world, a kindly New 
Year’s feast of family love. Even among the head-hunting Dyaks of Borneo, 
Bishop Chalmers was asked on New Year's Day to go out to the assembled people 
and to give them his wishes for a happy New Year. In many parts of the world it 
is followed by visits, gifts, and good wishes. This is one of the oldest and most 
universal festivals. 
7. Personal Names and Tribe-Names of the Gaels. By Hector McLnay. 
The following is a summary of the subjects treated by the author in this paper :— 
Personal names of pure Gaelic origin; tribe-names or surnames derived from 
them ; explanation of the meanings of several of them; comparison of some of 
them with old Gaulish personal names and tribe-names. Mac, son, descendant in 
an extended sense, placed before personal names and the names of various vocations 
to form family names; mutation of the initial consonants of the names following 
Mac; attraction of the c of Mac to names following it beginning with a vowel. 
O’ = Ua, grandson, descendant in an extended sense, not found in Scottish High- 
land Gaelic names, the Duke of Argyll and his clan excepted, who have the 
surname O'Duibhne (O’Duin) besides Campbell. Tribe-names occurring in 
Adamnan’s ‘ Life of St. Columba ;’ Anglicising of Gaelic personal names and sur- 
names; Scripture and classical names introduced among the Gaels with Chris- 
tianity; Scandinavian names introduced among them with the Scandinavian 
invasions, commencing in the eighth century. English names introduced into 
Treland by the English conquest ; Lowland Scotch names introduced among the 
Gaels of the Highlands. Confusing of names, such as Godfrey with the Gaelic 
' Guaire, Samuel with Somhairle (Somerled), Livingstone with Dunlevy, John- 
stone with MacJain (John’s son), Eachann (Ecken) and Eachthighearn (ickern) 
with Hector. 
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26. 
The following Papers were read :— 
1. The Polynesians and their Origin. By C. Sraniranp Wake. 
The paper mentioned various facts showing that the physical features of the 
Polynesians, although often European, allied them rather to the Mongolian than to 
the Caucasian stock. This opinion was confirmed by reference to various mental 
