27-2 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. II., No. 30. 



name of the Oneida tribe differs on pp. !'>2 

 and 78? Before leaving tliis interesting sub- 

 ject, we would call attention to note 5 on 

 p. 147: "It is deserving of notice, tliat tlie 

 titles of clanship used in the langnage of cere- 

 monj' are not derived from the ordinary names 

 of the animals which give tlie clans their desig- 

 nations. Okwaho is ' wolf; ' but a man of the 

 wolf clan is called ' Tahionni.' " The sim[)le 

 explanation is, that, in both the Seneca and 

 Oneida, ' Tai-hyo-ni ' is the name of that ani- 

 mal. One might be tempted to theorize upon 

 this ; but so much is j'et to be learned regard- 

 ing this intermingling, retention, and coin ig 

 of words, that for the present' we have but to 

 collate facts which can only be clearly ex- 

 plained or understood bj' a more full and com- 

 plete comparison of the Iroquois dialects than 

 has heretofore been obtainable. 



The chapter entitled the ' Book of rites ' ex- 

 plains its origin and character, the manner of 

 its discovery by Mr. Hale, and the character 

 of the Indians in whose possession it was 

 found. That it is a genuine Indian produc- 

 tion there can be no manner of doubt ; and 

 Mr. Hale's conclusions concerning its age are 

 in all probability correct. 



The Book of rites comprises the speeches, 

 songs, and other ceremonies, whichy from the 

 earliest period of the confederacy-, are sup- 

 posed to have composed the proceedings of 

 their council when a deceased chief was la- 

 mented, and his successor installed into office. 

 The fundamental laws of the league, a list of 

 their ancient towns, and the names of the 



chiefs who constituted their first council, all 

 chanted in a kind of litany, are also comprised 

 in the collection. Tliese contents are said to 

 liave been preserved in the memory for many 

 generations, and wei'e written down b}- desire of 

 the chiefs when their language was first reduced 

 to writing. This manuscript, the original of 

 whicli had been lost, Mr. Hale has, witli the 

 most et)mpetent Mohawk assistants, ti'auslated 

 into English, and drawn from it most interest- 

 ing conclusions regarding the character and 

 policy of the Iroquois tribes, quite dissimilar 

 from those generally accepted. The transla- 

 tion, notes, and glossary exhibit the work of a 

 careful student. In the free translation ren- 

 dered bj' Mr. Hale to the songs, he has given 

 them a metre almost suggesting the peculiar 

 melodj-, which, in the original Mohawk, was 

 produced by intonations ; for it must be re- 

 membered, that it is one orator who must un- 

 tiringly' continue to sing and chant, sometimes 

 for twenty-four hours ; and only by varj'ing 

 his key-note is he able to accomplish this 

 feat. 



A book which is as suggestive as this must 

 bear good fruit. We have called the attention 

 of our readers to manj* disputed points in the 

 hope of awakening a spirit of inquiry upon 

 subjects of such vital importance, many of 

 which are here presented for the first time. 

 We feel assured that the hopes of the author 

 regarding it will be full}' realized, and that 

 students of historj' and of the science of man 

 will here find new material of permanent in- 

 terest and value. 



AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



The evidence for evolution in the history of 

 the extinct Mammalia.^ 



BY E. D. COPE OF PHILADELPHIA. 



The subject to which I wish to call your attention 

 tliis morning requires neither preface nor apology, as 

 It is one witli the discussion of which you are perfectly 

 familiar. My object in bringing it before tlie general 

 session of the association was in view of the fact 

 that you were all familiar with it in a general way, 

 and that it probably interests the members of sec- 

 tions wliich do not pursue the special branch to which 

 it refers, as well as those which do; also, since it has 

 been brouglit before us in various public addresses 

 for many years, during the meetings of this associa- 

 tion, I thought it might be well to be introduced at 

 this meeting of this association, in order that we miglit 



I A lecture given in general session, Aug. 20, 1883. Bteno- 

 grapliically reported for Science. 



not omit to have all the sides of this interesting ques- 

 tion presented. 



The interests which are involved in it are large : 

 they are cliiefly, however, of a mental and metaphysi- 

 cal character; tbey do not refer so much to industrial 

 and practical interests, nor do they involve questions 

 of applied science. Tliey involve, however, ques- 

 tions of opinion, questions of belief, questions which 

 affect human happiness, I venture to say, even more 

 than questions of applied science; certainly, which 

 affect the liappiness of tlie higher grades of men and 

 women more tlian food or clothing, because they re- 

 late to the states of our mind, explaining as they do 

 the reasons of our relations to our fellow-beings, and 

 to all tilings by which we are surrounded, and the 

 general system of the forces by wliich we are sur- 

 rounded. So it has always appeared to me : hence I 

 have selected the department of biology, and have 

 taken a great interest in this aspect of it. 



