November 



1884." 



SCIENCE. 



437 



America, that superior age gives authority. 

 This law is widely spread, and perhaps uni- 

 versal, and exercises a profound influence in 

 tribal societ} T , as the occasions for its applica- 

 tion are multifarious. Like many other of 

 the institutions of tribal society, it is woven 

 into the structure of tribal language. Lin- 

 guists have recorded as a curious fact, that in 

 these languages there is no single term for 

 'brother,' but two terms, — one signifying 

 1 elder brother ; ' and the other, ' }~ounger 

 brother.' The}' have also found similar facts 

 relating to the term fc sister,' and to some other 

 kinship words ; but, so far as I know, they 

 have failed to observe that the law applies to 

 all consanguineal kinship names. All of these 

 titles express relative age between the person 

 speaking and the person addressed. Among 

 savage tribes the age of an individual is not^ 

 kept. No man knows his own age ; but every 

 man, woman, and child in the tribe knows his 

 relative age to every other person in the tribe, 

 — who are older and who are younger than 

 himself, — for, in addressing any other person 

 in the tribe, he must necessarily use a term 

 which implies that the person addressed is older 

 or younger. The law that authority inheres in 

 the elder is a simple and ingenious method of 

 preventing controversy. 



The above is the explanation of another 

 curious custom observed among savage tribes ; 

 namely, that it is illegal to address a person 

 by his proper name. Kinship terms are used 

 in direct address, proper names in speaking of 

 a third person. It is hardly necessary to state 

 that by this device controversj- is prevented. 



An interesting form of outlawiy exists among 

 some tribes. When a man has frequently in- 

 volved his clan in controversy with other clans 

 by reason of quarrels or other outrageous con- 

 duct, his own may decide no longer to defend 

 him, and will formally announce in tribal council 

 that such person is no longer under their 

 protection. If the person thereafter b} 7 his 

 conduct maltreats any member of the tribe, 

 the injured party may do as he will with the 

 offender, and not be held accountable by the 

 kindred of the outlaw. 



The few illustrations here given are sufficient, 

 perhaps, to make clear what is meant by the 

 statement that a large class of savage laws are 

 designed to prevent controversy. Many other 

 illustrations might be given, for they are found 

 on every hand. 



Three especial methods of terminating con- 

 troversy are widely spread among the tribes of 

 North America. 



When controversy arises in relation to owner- 



ship, the property is usually destroyed by the 

 clan or tribal authorities. Thus, if two men 

 dispute in bartering their horses, a third steps 

 in and kills both animals. It seems probable 

 that the destruction of property the ownership 

 of which is in dispute is common to all tribes. 



A second method of ending controversy is 

 by the arbitrament of personal conflict. For 

 example : if two persons disagree and come to 

 blows (unless conflict end in the maiming or 

 killing of one of the parties), it is considered a 

 final settlement, and they cannot thereafter ap- 

 peal to their clans for justice. By conflict a 

 controversy is outlawed. This law seems to 

 be universal. 



The third method of terminating controvers}' 

 is by the establishment of some clay of festival 

 — sometimes once a month, but usually once 

 a year — beyond which crimes do not pass. 

 The day of jubilee is a clay of forgiveness. 

 The working of this principle might be illus- 

 trated in many wa} T s. 



We* have thus briefly set forth certain prin- 

 ciples of primitive law, in order that the sub- 

 ject of marriage law in savage society, which 

 will form the subject of a future paper, maybe 

 clearly understood. Law begins in savagery 

 through the endeavor to secure peace, and 

 develops in the highest civilization into the 

 endeavor to establish justice. 



J. W. Powell. 



SIR WILLIAM THOMSON'S BALTIMORE 

 LECTURES. 



The title * Molecular dynamics ' does not give an 

 accurate idea of the nature of Sir William Thomson's 

 recent course of lectures at the Johns Hopkins uni- 

 versity. The object of the lectures was to consider 

 the possibility of placing the wave-theory of light 

 upon a perfectly tangible physical basis which should 

 be sufficient to account for all the phenomena. The 

 lecturer stated at the outset that he would be occu- 

 pied more with pointing out difficulties than with 

 removing them. He expressed the conviction that 

 what takes place in the propagation of light — at 

 least through gases, if not through solids and liquids 

 — can be represented in its essential features by sup- 

 posing a mass of vastly denser matter in the ether, 

 bounded by a perfectly rigid shell; this shell sur- 

 rounded at a small interval by another perfectly rigid 

 spherical shell; and so on. Each shell is connected 

 with the one outside it by a number of spiral springs: 

 the precise number of the shells is not a vital matter 

 in the theory, and the actual number may be infinite, 

 i.e., the system of shells may constitute a continuous 

 atmosphere to the molecule. The problem of the 

 modes of vibration of this system is essentially the 

 same as that of a system of particles connected by 



