114 
Traditions. —102. Are there popular traditions respecting the 
origin of music P 103. Any myths about a musical deity or 
some superhuman musician ? 104. Any legends or fairy tales 
in which allusion to music is made? if so, what are they? 
105. Any tradition about the invention of certain favourite 
musical instruments ? 106. Any tradition or historical record 
respecting the antiquity of stringed instruments played with a 
how ? 107. Any records respecting their sacred music P 108. 
Is music believed to possess the power of curing certain illnesses? 
109. The power of enticing and taming wild animals ? 110. 
Are there popular tunes, or certain rhythmical figures in the 
tunes, which, according to tradition, have been suggested by 
the songs of birds? 111. If there is any thing noteworthy 
about music which has not been alluded to in the preceding 
questions, notice it. 
No. LXIX.—LANGUAGE. 
By E. B. TYLOR, Esq., F.R.S. 
The only really satisfactory method of treating a language 
for anthropological purposes is to have a complete grammar and 
dictionary drawn up. As to the compilation of such, in savage 
languages, two suggestions are worth making. First, that the 
dictionary should be printed with the grammar prefixed, other¬ 
wise neither will be properly available; second, that specimens 
of native compositions, such as folk-lore tales, poems, tradi¬ 
tions, prayers, &c., should be taken down verbatim , and pub¬ 
lished with an accurate translation, with the grammar and 
dictionary. Where it is impossible to deal with the lan¬ 
guage in this thorough way, the fullest vocabulary possible 
should be drawn up, and sentences carefully taken down and 
translated word for word. The practice of judging of the 
affinities of a language by means of a short vocabulary of 
isolated words, without a guide to the grammatical structure, is 
to be condemned as loose and misleading. The missionary 
alphabet of Professor Max Muller and the phonetic alphabets of 
Mr. A. J. Ellis and Mr. Melville Bell may be used; the former is 
here inserted (p. 116) for the use of travellers. (See L Outline Dic¬ 
tionary for the use of Missionaries, Explorers, &c.’ Triibner 
and Co., 60 Paternoster Row.) Whatever alphabet is used, the 
c 
