206 7 General Notes. [Feb, 
Some of e burning questions which M. Spuafrefages discusses 
are the following : 
The pretended Simian origin of man. 
Incompatibility of Darwinism and polygen 
Impossibility of going back to the first oa a the species. 
The survival of fossil human races. 
In his general treatment of his theme M. Quatrefages has fol- 
lowed the method of Prichard. 
The Deities of the Navajos.—In the interesting account en- 
`Ț\ 
the fact that the warriors offered their sacrifices at the sacred 
shrine of Thoyetli, in the San Juan valley. He says that the 
Navajos have a tradition that the gods of war, or sacred brothers, 
still dwell at Thoyetli, and their reflection is sometimes seen 
on the San Juan River. Dr. Matthews is certain the last part 
is due to some natural phenomenon. The following account 
seems to furnish a complete explanation of this last part of the 
myth. Several years ago, a clergyman, while travelling in the 
San Juan valley, noticed a curious phenomenon while gazing 
h 
and surrounded by a circular rainbow, the “circle of Ulloa.” 
They jumped, moved away, and performed a number of exer- 
cises, to be certain that the figures were their reflections, and the 
dians to consider these reflections as those of their deities.— 
G. A. Brennan, Roseland, Cook County, Til., January 12, 1887. 
. Franz Boas, the successful explorer of the polar countries 
north of Hudson’s Bay, has just returned to the East from a three 
months’ trip to the east side of Vancouver’s Island, B. C.,and the 
mainland opposite. He visited there a considerable number of 
tribes, most of which, he thinks, belong to the Selish family, 
though he entertains doubts whether the Kwákiūtl belong there 
or not. As far as their intercourse with the whites is concerned, 
are harmless and friendly; but outside of Nanaimo and 
Victoria the white population there is very sparse. The Gospels 
and John have been translated into the Kwákiūtl 
of Fort Rupert, a post now abandoned. Dr. Boas in- 
he tee to publish soon a part of his exploratory results in this 
country, with illustrations.. A pamphlet upon the Bi lkúla, or 
He peas iora ati attention than explorers 
