358 TlMEHRI. 
modify his view. ( The last evidence I have met with,' 
he writes, ' has almost made me change my mind about 
its being a native American invention ; it seems more 
likely to have come from Africa with the negro slaves.' 
I presume, though he has not told me so, that he has 
met with evidence of the practice in Africa. But even 
if this is the case, I should prima facie be inclined to 
believe that the custom has originated separately in the 
two places. For, in the first place, the fact that, as 
above related, I found the practice in a remote part of 
the Macoosi country, where probably no negro had ever 
been before about 1830, and where but few have been 
even since that date, makes it unlikely that the prac- 
tice was in that instance of African origin. And, in the 
second place, a far more important consideration is that 
the practice if carefully examined appears to be so 
simple, and to be founded on such a natural and simple 
idea, that it would rather be the more wonderful thing 
if it had not originated more than once, and in several 
parts of the world, than that it has so originated. 
In analyzing the practice of this artificial feather- 
culture the chief points to be first considered are that, as 
I can myself vouch, modification of the colour of the 
feathers is really and actually effected, but that this is 
effected, not by the means purposely taken to attain the 
desired end, but by accidental circumstances uninten- 
tionally, but simultaneously, presented. 
We may take for granted the first of these points, 
that the change is really effected. As regards the second, 
that the means taken are not those really effective, it 
may I think be inferred from the instances above quoted, 
and the same inference will I believe be deducible from 
