104 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



can work us good or harm, and influence ov*er them will 

 give us an advantage over our fellow beings. 



The religions of the world are connected more or less 

 with superstition, many of the Pagan forms of worship con- 

 taining little or nothing else. The peculiar garb in which 

 it clothes itself is the badge or mark of a certain grade of 

 civilization. As it progresses in its evolution it becomes 

 more and more connected with moralitj^. 



The speaker then discussed at length the subjects of sym- 

 bolism, dreams, astrology, augury, prognostics, cheiromancy, 

 superstitions referring to animals, plants, and the occupa- 

 tions of life. 



Superstitions are to be numbered by the million. Every 

 year old ones die, new ones arise. Ignorance of the true 

 causes of things, and an innate desire to account for them, 

 lead all peoples to render a reason which is on a plane with 

 their intelligence. 



The folk-lore societies and many private individuals are 

 engaged in collecting these fabulous stories. They are of 

 scientific value only as they lead to a deeper insight into the 

 psychology of those who believe in them. In the collection 

 of them the most profound sympathy must exist between 

 the student and his subject. Properly understood they con- 

 tribute to the advancement of ethnolog}^, psychology, and 

 linguistic science. 



Mr. Gatschet then proceeded to give some examples of 

 superstition gathered from our North American Indians, 

 dividing his subject as follows: 



I. Superstitions connected with hunting. 



II. Superstitions connecting with fishing. 



III. Those connected with daily life, as sneezing, combing 

 the hair, eating, dreaming, journeying, barrenness, observ- 

 ance of days, tabu, medicine, 



IV. Those connected with certain species of natural ob- 

 jects, as stormy petrels, gulls, wild geese, bears, foxes, ants, 

 totemic animals. 



V. Those connected with extraordinary phenomena, as 



