Nature . in to illustrate one form ofNurtunja ; the small cross pieces represent pointing sticks. close relative, and an individual may help to kill ordestroy his totem ; members of the same totem are notbound to assist one another, nor does totemism , so that two individuals of the same totem maybe lawfully man and wife. The authors are unable toexplain satisfactorily these anomalies, nevertheless theirinquiries on the subject of totemism are quite amongstthe most fascinating of the book. The .\runta tribe, thedescription of whose customs occupy the greater portionof the monogr
Nature . in to illustrate one form ofNurtunja ; the small cross pieces represent pointing sticks. close relative, and an individual may help to kill ordestroy his totem ; members of the same totem are notbound to assist one another, nor does totemism , so that two individuals of the same totem maybe lawfully man and wife. The authors are unable toexplain satisfactorily these anomalies, nevertheless theirinquiries on the subject of totemism are quite amongstthe most fascinating of the book. The .\runta tribe, thedescription of whose customs occupy the greater portionof the monograph, reckon descent through the maleinstead of, as do most of the surrounding tribes, throughthe female ; but, as is pointed out (p. 36), it is doubtfulwhether in all cases the counting of descent in the female 512 NATURE [March 30, 1899 line has preceded the counting of it in the male line, andwe are also shown good reason for excepting the state-ment that descent in the female line is necessarily a sign.
Size: 1354px × 1845px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booksubjectscience
