a wild boar or a leopard； for example； and that that is the real cause of his death。 （J。 Keller； 〃Ueber das Land und Volk der Balong〃； 〃Deutsches Kolonialblatt〃； 1 October； 1895； page 484。） A Catholic missionary； sleeping in the hut of a chief of the Fan negroes； awoke in the middle of the night to see a huge black serpent of the most dangerous sort in the act of darting at him。 He was about to shoot it when the chief stopped him； saying； 〃In killing that serpent； it is me that you would have killed。 Fear nothing； the serpent is my elangela。〃 （Father Trilles； 〃Chez les Fang； leurs Moeurs； leur Langue； leur Religion〃； 〃Les Missions Catholiques〃； XXX。 （1898）； page 322。） At Calabar there used to be some years ago a huge old crocodile which was well known to contain the spirit of a chief who resided in the flesh at Duke Town。 Sporting Vice…Consuls； with a reckless disregard of human life； from time to time made determined attempts to injure the animal； and once a peculiarly active officer succeeded in hitting 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 translati