174 Proceedings of Royal Society of Ediiiburgh. [sess 
forsakes its nest made in the house, misfortune is near. Vultures 
and ravens are chief among the birds, and their slaughter causes 
illness. If vultures alight on the top of a poor man’s house, he will 
receive rich gifts and presents. 
A piece of the hide of the white rhinoceros worn on the body 
makes a man invulnerable. Skin of the otter worn on the body 
acts as an aphrodisiac. 
An eclipse of the sun announces the death of a ruler. The 
Wanyoro spit three times whenever they see a shooting star. 
To Emin and Casati I am indebted for the following stories 
and traditions: — “In primeval times, say the Wanyoro, people were 
numerous on the earth. They never died, but lived for ever. But 
as they became presumptuous and offered no gifts to the ‘ Great 
Magician ’ who rules the destinies of men, he grew angry, and, 
throwing the whole vault of heaven down upon the earth, killed 
them all. But in order not to leave the earth desolate, the ‘ Great 
Magician ’ sent down a man and a woman ‘ from above,’ both of 
whom had tails. They produced a son and two daughters who 
married. One daughter bore a loathsome beast, the chameleon, the 
other a giant, the moon. Both children grew up, but soon disputes 
arose between them, for the chameleon was wicked and spiteful, and 
at last the ‘ Great Magician ’ took the moon up to the place from 
whence it still looks down upon the earth. But to keep in 
remembrance its earthly origin it becomes large and brilliant, and 
then decreases as though about to die, yet does not die, but in two 
days passes through the horizon from east to west, and appears again, 
tired from its journey, and therefore small in the western sky. But 
the sun was angry with the new rival and burnt it, so that the 
marks are still visible on its face. The chameleon and its progeny 
peopled the earth, the tails were lost, and the originally pale colour 
of the skin soon became dark under the glowing sun. At the 
present time the heavenly spheres are inhabited by people with tails, 
who have many herds. The stars are watchmen which the ‘ Great 
Magician’ posts during the night; the sun is inhabited by giants.” 
According to Unyoro tradition, elephants and chimpanzees were 
once men, and the dog, too, was gifted with speech, but spoke only 
to his master. 
“ In ancient times a man had an honest son, but he himself was 
