TRANSACTIONS OP SECTION H. 501 



prevent a flood, and the victim was said to marry the water-god. The Magazawa 

 still worship various spirits, but the great majority of the Hausa people is now 

 Muhammadan, having been converted by the Filani, who conquered the Hausa 

 States one hundred years ago. 



Differences in rank and status are clearly recognised : a poor man ' dies,' but 

 a chief 'is missing.' Although animals can take human form, and vice versa, 

 there is a distinction in describing defects of each ; thus, a man ' is lame,' but a 

 horse ' has no leg.' A blind man is very cunning. To compliment a woman on 

 her looks may bring misfortune upon her. A figure-target set up in the barracks 

 was objected to by the women, who feared a miscarriage through having seen it. 



There is a peculiar institution called Bori. It originated as a cure for in- 

 sanity, but is now practised mainly by the people of loose morals. There are 

 many divisions of it, the persons belonging to them simulating some form of 

 insanity. There is a regular form of initiation. 



Most of the tales are told in a sing-song voice, but sometimes words are 

 introduced to represent the sounds of the animals or birds speaking, one of the 

 best-known being a conversation between a hyama and dogs. 



4. An Archceological Classification of American Types of Prehistoric 

 Artifacts. By Warren K. Moorehead. 



Until recently no attempt had been made to classify the thousands of objects 

 of stone, bone, wood, metal, &c, made and used by primitive man in 

 America. Some three or four years ago a committee, of which the author was 

 a member, was formed for this purpose. The main outlines of the system of 

 classification which this committee have proposed are as follows : — 



Class I. — Chipped stone. 



I. Without stem. — Chipped stone, knives and projectile points : (a) 

 Without secondary chipping; (flakes) : (b) With secondary chipping : (1) 

 Pointed at one end, (2) Base concave, (3) Base straight, (4) Base convex, 

 (5) Sides convex, &c. 



II. With stem. — (a) Stem expanding from base : (1) Base concave, 

 (2) Base straight, (3) Base convex; (6) Stem with sides parallel (sub- 

 divided as II«) ; (c) Stem contracting from base (subdivided as Ila). 



Class II. — Scrapers. 



Class III. — Perforators. 



Class IV. — Hammer stones, Ground Stone. 



Problematical Forms. 



These include the great range of American ' unknown ' objects. No previous 

 attempt at classification was made. The flat surfaces were grouped under the 

 term Lamina : — ■ 



Types : (a) Spade-shaped : Ovate, sides concave, sides convex, sides 

 straight; (b) Leaf -shaped, spear-shaped; (c) Rectangular; (d) Shield- 

 shaped ; (e) Pendants, celt-shaped, rectangular, oval, &c. 



Resemblances to known forms in life : (a) Animal-shaped stones; (b) 

 Bird-shaped stones; (c) Boat-shaped stones. 



Here follows a long series of other problematical forms which cannot be 

 listed in a brief abstract. 



Articles in Clay. 



This covers the range of ceramics in the United States. Over this the com- 

 mittee spent much labour. The types are so numerous that a full synopsis cannot 

 be given briefly. 



Body, greatly varying ; Neck, cylindrical, expanding, contracting, 

 combinations ; Foot, expanding, cylindrical, contracting, combinations ; 

 Feet (in case of more than one foot) variations different. 



Handles: Differentiated by (1) number; (2) position on vessel: (a) 

 body; (b) neck; (r) foot; (d) combinations. 



