ting it。 The chief was immediately laid up with a wound in his leg。 He SAID that a dog had bitten him； but few people perhaps were deceived by so flimsy a pretext。 （Miss Mary H。 Kingsley； 〃Travels in West Africa〃 （London； 1897）； pages 538 sq。 As to the external or bush souls of human beings； which in this part of Africa are supposed to be lodged in the bodies of animals； see Miss Mary H。 Kingsley op。 cit。 pages 459…461； R。 Henshaw； 〃Notes on the Efik belief in 'bush soul'〃； 〃Man〃； VI。（1906）； pages 121 sq。； J。 Parkinson； 〃Notes on the Asaba people （Ibos） of the Niger〃； 〃Journal of the Anthropological Institute〃； XXXVI。 （1906）； pages 314 sq。） Once when Mr Partridge's canoe… men were about to catch fish near an Assiga town in Southern Nigeria； the natives of the town objected； saying； 〃Our souls live in those fish； and if you kill them we shall die。〃 （Charles Partridge； 〃Cross River Natives〃 （London； 1905）； pages 225 sq。） On another occasion； in the same region； an Englishman shot a hippopotamus near a native village。 The same night a woman died in the village； and her friends demanded and obtained from the marksman five pounds as compensation for the murder of the woman； whose soul or second self had been in that hippopotamus。 （C。H。 Robinson； 〃Hausaland〃 （London； 1896）； pages 36 sq。） Similarly at Ndolo； in the Congo region； we hear of a chief whose life was bound up with a hippopotamus； but he prudently suffered no one to fire at the animal。 （〃Notes Analytiques sur les Collections Ethnographiques du Musee du Congo〃； I。 （Brussels； 1902… 06）； page 150。
Amongst people who thus fail to perceive any sharp line of distinction between beasts and men it is not surprising to meet with the belief that human beings are directly descended from animals。 Such a belief is often found among totemic tribes who imagine that their ancestors sprang from their totemic animals or plants； but it is by no means confined to them。 Thus； to take instances； some of the Californian Indians； in whose mythology the coyote or prairie…wolf is a leading personage； think that they are descended from coyotes。 At first they walked on all fours； then they began to have some members of the human body； one finger； one toe； one eye； one ear； and so on； then they got two fingers； two toes； two eyes； two ears； and so forth； till at last； progressing from period to period； they became perfect human beings。 The loss of their tails； which they still deplore； was produced by the habit of sitting upright。 （H。R。 Schoolcraft； 〃Indian Tribes of the United States〃； IV。 （Philadelphia； 1856）； pages 224 sq。； compare id。 V。 page 217。 The descent of some； not all； Indians from coyotes is mentioned also by Friar Boscana； in （A。 Robinson's） 〃Life in California〃 （New York； 1846）； page 299。） Similarly Darwin thought that 〃the tail has disappeared in man and the anthropomorphous apes； owing to the terminal portion having been injured by friction during a long lapse of time； the basal and embedded portion having been reduced and modified； so as to become suitable to the erect or semi…erect position。〃 （Charles Darwin； 〃The Descent of Man〃； Second Edition （London； 1879）； page 60。） The Turtle clam of the Iroquois think that they are descended from real mud turtles which used to live in a pool。 One hot summer the pool dried up； and the mud turtles set out to find another。 A very fat turtle； waddling after the rest in the heat； was much incommoded by the weight of his shell； till by a great effort he heaved it off altogether。 After that he gradually developed into a man and became the progenitor of the Turtle clan。 （E。A。 Smith； 〃Myths of the Iroquois〃； 〃Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology〃 （Washington； 1883）； page 77。） The Crawfish band of the Choctaws are in like manner descended from real crawfish； which used to live under ground； only coming up occasionally through the mud to the surface。 Once a party of Choctaws smoked them out； taught them the Choctaw language； taught them to walk on two legs； made them cut off their toe nails and pluck the hair from their bodies； after which they adopted them into the tribe。 But the rest of their kindred； the crawfish； are crawfish under ground to this day。 （Geo。 Catlin； 〃North American Indians〃4 （London； 1844）； II。 page 128。） The Osage Indians universally believed that they were descended from a male snail and a female beaver。 A flood swept the snail down to the Missouri and left him high and dry on the bank； where the sun ripened him into a man。 He met and married a beaver maid； and from the pair the tribe of the Osages is descended。 For a long time these Indians retained a pious reverence for their animal ancestors and refrained from hunting beavers； because in killing a beaver they killed a brother of the Osages。 But when white men came among them and offered high prices for beaver skins； the Osages yielded to the temptation and took the lives of their furry brethren。 （Lewis and Clarke； 〃Travels to the Source of the Missouri River〃 （London； 1815）； I。 12 （Vol。 I。 pages 44 sq。 of the London reprint； 1905）。） The Carp clan of the Ootawak Indians are descended from the eggs of a carp which had been deposited by the fish on the banks of a stream and warmed by the sun。 （〃Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses〃； Nouvelle Edition； VI。 （Paris； 1781）； page 171。） The Crane clan of the Ojibways are sprung originally from a pair of cranes； which after long wanderings settled on the rapids at the outlet of Lake Superior； where they were changed by the Great Spirit into a man and woman。 （L。H。 Morgan； 〃Ancient Society〃 （London； 1877）； page 180。） The members of two Omaha clans were originally buffaloes and lived； oddly enough； under water； which they splashed about； making it muddy。 And at death all the members of these clans went back to their ancestors the buffaloes。 So when one of them lay adying； his friends used to wrap him up in a buffalo skin with the hair outside and say to him； 〃You came hither from the animals and you are going back thither。 Do not face this way again。 When you go； continue walking。 （J。 Owen Dorsey； 〃Omaha Sociology〃； 〃Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology〃 （Washington； 1884）； pages 229； 233。） The Haida Indians of Queen Charlotte Islands believe that long ago the raven； who is the chief figure in the mythology of North…West America； took a cockle from the beach and married it； the cockle gave birth to a female child； whom the raven took to wife； and from their union the Indians were produced。 （G。M。 Dawson； 〃Report on the Queen Charlotte Islands〃 （Montreal； 1880）； pages 149B sq。 （〃Geological Survey of Canada〃）； F。 Poole； 〃Queen Charlotte Islands〃； page 136。） The Delaware Indians called the rattle…snake their grandfather and would on no account destroy one of these reptiles； believing that were they to do so the whole race of rattle…snakes would rise up and bite them。 Under the influence of the white man； however； their respect for their grandfather the rattle…snake gradually died away； till at last they killed him without compunction or ceremony whenever they met him。 The writer who records the old custom observes that he had often reflected on the curious connection which appears to subsist in the mind of an Indian between man and the brute creation； 〃all animated nature；〃 says he； 〃in whatever degree； is in their eyes a great whole； from which they have not yet ventured to separate themselves。〃 （Rev。 John Heckewelder； 〃An Account of the History； Manners； and Customs； of the Indian Nations； who once inhabited Pennsylvania and the Neighbouring States〃； 〃Transactions of the Historical and Literary Committee of the American Philosophical Society〃； I。 （Philadelphia； 1819）； pages 245； 247； 248。）
Some of the Indians of Peru boasted of being descended from the puma or American lion； hence they adored the lion as a god and appeared at festivals like Hercules dressed in the skins of lions with the heads of the beasts fixed over their own。 Others claimed to be sprung from condors and attired themselves in great black and white wings； like that enormous bird。 （Garcilasso de la Vega； 〃First Part of the Royal Commentaries of the Yncas〃； Vol。 I。 page 323； Vol。 II。 page 156 （Markham's translation）。） The Wanika of East Africa look upon the hyaena as one of their ancestors or as associated in some way with their origin and destiny。 The death of a hyaena is mourned by the whole people； and the greatest funeral ceremonies which they perform are performed for this brute。 The wake held over a chief is as nothing compared to the wake held over a hyaena； one tribe only mourns the death of its chief； but all the tribes unite to celebrate the obsequies of a hyaena。 （Charles New； 〃Life； Wanderings； and Labours in Eastern Africa〃 （London； 1873） page 122。） Some Malagasy families claim to be descended from the babacoote （Lichanotus brevicaudatus）； a large lemur of grave appearance and staid demeanour； which lives in the depth of the forest。 When they find one of these creatures dead； his human descendants bury it solemnly； digging a grave for it； wrapping it in a shroud； and weeping and lamenting over its carcase。 A doctor who had shot a babacoote was accused by the inhabitants of a Betsimisaraka village of having killed 〃one of their grandfathers in the forest；〃 and to appease their indignation he had to promise not to skin the animal in the village but in a solitary place where nobody could see him。 （Father Abinal； 〃Croyances fabuleuses des Malgaches〃； 〃Les Missions Catholiques〃； XII。 （1880）； page 526； G。H。 Smith； 〃Some Betsimisaraka superstitions〃； 〃The Antananarivo Annual and Madagascar Magazine〃； No。 10 （Antananarivo； 1886）； page 239； H。W。 Little； 〃Madagascar； its History and People〃 （London； 1884）； pages 321 sq； A。 van Gennep； 〃Tabou et Totemisme a Madagascar〃 （Paris； 1904）； pages 214 sqq。） Many of the Betsimisaraka believe that the curious nocturnal animal called the aye…aye （Cheiromys madagascariensis） 〃is the embodiment of their forefathers； and hence will not touch it； much less do it an injury。 It is said that when one is discovered dead in the forest； these people make a tomb for it and bury it with all the forms of a funeral。 They think that if they attempt to entrap it； they will surely die