500 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IV., No. 95. 



presently perceives, is merely an exhibition of 

 the highest literary skill, for it preludes the 

 suggestion of the most novel theory thus far 

 propounded in regard to the mythology of any 

 Indian tribe. This theory, which is sustained 

 with much ingenuity and learning, supposes 

 that the myths current among the north-eastern 

 Algonquins are in great part derived from, or 

 colored by, the legends of the Norse mythology. 

 The author assumes that the Norse colonists, 

 who dwelt for three centuries in Greenland, 

 having there at one time as many as a hun- 

 dred and ninety villages, taught these ancient 

 legends to their Eskimo visitors and depend- 

 ants, by whom the stories were in turn com- 

 municated to their Algonquin neighbors. He 

 points out many resemblances in the person- 

 ages and incidents of the two mythologies 

 which are certainly remarkable ; and he even 

 traces the name of the mischief-making semi- 

 deity Lox of the Abenakies to the evil-working 

 Loki of the Edda tales. At times, however, 

 he finds these resemblances of folk-lore extend 

 to so much wider limits, both in the old world 

 and in the new, that he is disposed to refer 

 them to a far earlier and more primitive inter- 

 communication, prevailing at the time when one 

 pre- Aryan race inhabited both continents. 



There is nothing incredible, or indeed im- 

 probable, in either theory. Without neces- 

 sarily adopting them, — and the author himself 

 has not fully made up his mind about either of 

 them, — students of folk-lore may be grate- 

 ful to any thoughtful fellow-worker who can 

 suggest new lines on which their inquiries ma}' 

 be conducted. They will not, of course, forget 

 the more common explanation, which supposes 

 that similar beliefs may often arise from mere 

 similarity of circumstances. Given the striking 

 resemblance which Mr. Leland himself has 

 well pointed out, between the regions inhabited 

 by the Norsemen and by the Abenakies, and 

 in the character and pursuits of the two races, 

 can we then account for all the coincidences 

 of their folk-lore ? Half a dozen resemblances 

 of words, like that between Loki and Lox 

 (which, by itself, may be a mere accident), 

 would suffice to settle this question and to 

 establish Mr. Leland 's Norse theory. The 

 decisive value of language as a test in ethno- 

 logical investigations could hardly be better 

 exemplified than by this statement, the force 

 of which every one will appreciate. Until 

 this test has been satisfied, the author's theory 

 remains only an ingenious and plausible sug- 

 gestion. 



Mr. Gatschet's work, as might be expected 

 from his former publications, is of a purely 



scientific character ; but in this sphere it takes 

 a wide range. It is based on an ancient legend 

 of the Creek or Maskoki Indians, which is 

 partly mythological, and parti}' historical. This 

 legend, of which the text and translation are 

 given at the close of the present book, is 

 to be more fully elucidated in the forthcoming 

 volume. As it treats of the origin of the 

 Creek nation, and their journeyings from the 

 west, with their wars and other adventures 

 among the people whom they encountered 

 until they arrived at the eastern region in 

 which they were found by the whites, the 

 author has deemed it a suitable basis for a 

 full description, not only of the Maskoki tribes 

 themselves, but also of the surrounding com- 

 munities. His first or introductory volume 

 thus comprises an account of all the southern 

 tribes of the United States, from the Atlantic 

 seaboard to the western limit of Louisiana, 

 so far as these are known. The history and 

 character of each tribe, and its ethnical rela- 

 tions, are clearly explained. The classification 

 is based on language, which the author justly 

 considers to be the only scientific method. 

 He has devoted much attention to the languages 

 of the Maskoki stock, and gives abstracts of 

 the grammatical characteristics of several of 

 these tongues, which will be of much use to 

 students of philology'. The systems of gov- 

 ernment of the various tribes, their social 

 usages, their modes of warfare, and their re- 

 ligious views and rites, are described with 

 man}' interesting details. The volume forms 

 a thesaurus of authentic information con- 

 cerning the southern races, and will hold a 

 high position as an authority on the ethnology 

 of these tribes, and the archeology of the 

 region which they formerly inhabited. The 

 more extended notice which its contents de- 

 serve must be deferred until the appearance 

 of the second volume. 



RECENT CHEMICAL TEXT-BOOKS. 



Traite pratique cfanalyses chimiques et d'essais indus- 

 triels. By Raoul Jagnaux. Paris, Doin, 

 1884. 12+503 p. 8°. 



7 he elements of chemistry. By F. W. Clarke. 

 New York, Appleton, 1884. (Appleton's science 

 text-books.) 10 + 369 p , illustr. 8°. 



Lessons in chemistry. By W. H. Greene. Phila- 

 delphia, Lippincott, 1884. (Lippincott's science 

 series.) 357 p., illustr. 8°. 



A short text-bonk of inorganic chemistry. ByTDr. 

 Hermann Kolbe. Translated and edited by 

 T. S. Humpidge. New York, Wiley, 1884. 

 16 + 606 p., L pi. 8°. 



