TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION H. 895 



at the thoroughness of the change that has taken place in favour of its doctrines. 

 Now man's immense antiquity is accepted by a vast majority of the most thoughtful 

 men, and his place in nature, as a derivative animal at the head of the great chain 

 of life, appeals for elucidation to all sciences and to all legitimate methods of 

 research. But among the joyful pseans of this triumphal march we still hear some 

 discordant notes — notes, however, which seem to me to die with their echoes, and 

 to have as little effect on scientific progress as the whistling of an idle wind. For 

 my own part I cannot believe that a science which seeks in the spirit of truth to 

 trace the mysteries of human life and civilisation to their primary rootlets, a science 

 which aims at purging our beliefs of superstitious figments generated in days when 

 scientific methods were too feeble to expose the errors on which they were founded, 

 a science which reminds us in a thousand ways that success in life depends on a 

 correct knowledge of the cosmic forces around us, can be opposed to the highest 

 and most durable interests of humanity. 



The following Papers and Reports were read : — 



1. On the Ethnographic Aspect of Dancing. 

 By Mrs. Lilly Gkove, F.B.G.S. 



Dancing corresponds to a universal primitive instinct in man. The value of a 

 scientific study of dancing as illustrating some aspects of ethnology is very great. 

 At all periods there were three kinds of dances: — 1. The imaginative or poetic. 

 2. The descriptive. 3. The relif/ious. This last is most important, and may be 

 called the fountain of the other kinds. Dancing is connected with every ancient 

 myth. Among the savages the idea of masric always accompanies it. Religious 

 dances can be divided in {a) dances directly in honour of the Deity ; (b) dances 

 on various occasions intended to jjropitiate the Deity. A strange feature is the fact 

 that so many dances are performed in a circle. Sun-dances are numerous. War- 

 Aances are of two orders, either as a preparation fur war or as a rejoicing after 

 triumph. The Corrobberree illustrates the former aspect. Excellence in dancing 

 among savages is obtained by very simple means ; anyone who makes a mistake in 

 the dance is killed. 



Women take a larger share in the dance than men. This is accounted for by 

 Herbert Spencer. 



Marriage-dances are found in every tribe. So are devil-dances, used as 

 exorcisms or as a medicine cure. The dance of the Veddahs of Ceylon, the Baile 

 de Pifano of Chili, the skeleton-dance of Australia, belong to this class. Dancing 

 in the cathedrals of Spain and Mexico is traced back to a Hebrew custom, and to 

 King David's act of adoration. Dancing may be the outcome of pain and sorrow 

 as well as the expression of joy. Funeral dances are common in Nubia and Central 

 America, and were much in favour with the ancient Egyptians. In conclusion, the 

 universality and the naturalness of dancing make it an important factor in the 

 history of man. 



2. Report on the Anthropometric Laboratory. — See Reports, p. 654. 



Report on the Pliysical Deviations from the Normal amonq Children in 

 Elementary and other Schools. — See Reports, p. 614. 



4. On Anthropometric Worh in, Large Schools. 

 By Beutram C. A. Windle, D.Sc, M.D., M.A. 



This paper gives the results obtained in answer to a circular sent to the head 

 masters of one hundred of the largest schools in England, Scotland, and Ireland 

 inquiring whether any, and if so what, anthi-opometric investigations were carried 

 on in their institutions, and the methods adopted in taking the various measure- 



