1 882] Anthropology. 415 



degenerate descendants of far superior ancestors, that no com- 

 munity ever did or ever can emerge from utter barbarism to civ- 

 ilization was first successfully met by Sir John Lubbock, who 

 was able, from a wide generalization, to demonstrate the contrary. 

 Arts, ornaments, marriage, relationship, religion, ethics, language 

 and law are each treated as organisms, and followed up from very 

 humble beginnings to their very highest development. The 

 reader is not called upon to follow the author through the dim 

 mazes of speculation, but each argument is enforced by a concrete 

 example taken now from one part of the world, now from 

 another. Mr. Lubbock is a most charming writer, never losing 

 his sense of courtesy to his opponents, and moving on by a set- 

 tled plan to his conclusion. 



Pre Indian Aborigines. — From the Boston Evening Transcript 

 of Feb. 4th, we clip the report of a paper by Professor Henry W. 

 Haynes upon the existence in New England, in very early times, 

 of a race of men different from and far less advanced than the 

 Indians. The evidence is the occurrence of rude, coarse, stone 

 implements in numerous localities where none of the ordinary 

 evidences of Indian occupation could be found. Professor Put- 

 nam exhibited 'at the same meeting a collection of rude surface 

 implements from Marshfield, in order to emphasize the fact that 

 conclusions relating to the antiquity of relics could not be drawn 

 simply from the character of the specimens themselves. 



Will not all our kind friends whose papers or discussions are 

 reported in the daily press send a copy to the editor of this 

 department ? 



Were Copper Axes Swedged or Cast ? — The Kansas City 

 Review of February has an article by Professor H. A. Reid on 

 the above subject, in which he gracefully makes his adieu to a 

 former opinion, and frankly shakes the hand of Dr. Hoy on the 

 swedge theory. It takes a brave man to say, " I was wrong." 



Anthropology in France.— The Revue a" Anthropologic is the 

 most prompt and readable of all our anthropological journals ; 

 Vol. v, No. 1, for January, 1882, comes in good time and is not 

 behind in value, ["hree original papers are given, two by the 

 editor. 



3 registres de Paul Broca, by Taul Topir 

 e noire africaine, by Dr. A. Corre. [ Es 



by Paul 



The rest of the number is filled with reviews by specialists, 

 among them the following American works are considered : Pow- 

 ell s Introduction, Yarrow's Mortuary Customs, Smithsonian Re- 

 Port, and the Fossil man of Brazil, by Quatrefages. 



