It is clear that a far more intensive investigation of kinship terminologies must take the place of what has hitherto been attempted. Precisely the so-called minor peculiarities of a system are important historically because they are the differential indications of cultural contact with definite tribes. The phonetic inadequacy of Morgan’s schedules, which has been brought to light by Dr. Michelson and Mr. Spier,[69-v] requires a reëxamination of the entire field covered. Still more important is the thorough-going determination of the innumerable systems, both in and outside of America, not touched upon by Morgan at all. Fortunately the work of Dr. Rivers, Mr. A. R. Brown and Mr. A. M. Hocart in England, of Dr. R. Thurnwald in Germany, of Dr. J. R. Swanton, Mr. Leslie Spier and Mr. E. W. Gifford in America bids fair to reduce our ignorance of the facts. With our lamentable absence of knowledge on some of the most essential points it would be rash indeed to claim for the present sketch a more than preliminary value. I am content with calling attention to the tremendous ethnological significance of kinship terminologies, with combating premature confidence in generalizations based on sheer ignorance, and above all with suggesting that the most rigorous logical formulation of problems is possible in this too long neglected domain of the science of culture.
REFERENCES
I
[1-i] Wissler, Clark. Psychological and Historical Interpretation for Culture, Science, N. S. vol. 43, pp. 193-201, 1916. Hocart, A.M. Psychology and Sociology, Folk-Lore, 1915, pp. 115-137. Kroeber, A. L. Eighteen Professions, American Anthropologist, N. S. vol. 17, pp. 283-288, 1915. Lowie, Robert H. Psychology and Sociology, American Journal of Sociology, 1915, pp. 217-229.
[2-i] Radloff, Wilhelm. Aus Sibirien. Lose Blätter aus meinem Tagebuche. 2 vols. Leipzig, 1893, vol. 2, p. 16 f.
[3-i] Jochelson, Waldemar. The Yukaghir and Yukaghirized Tungus, Memoirs, American Museum of Natural History, vol. 13, part 1, Leiden and New York, 1910, pp. 30-38. Czaplicka, M. A. Aboriginal Siberia. A Study in Social Anthropology. Oxford, 1914, pp. 307-325.
II
[1-ii] Thorndike, Edward L. Mental Work and Fatigue and Individual Differences and their Causes. New York, 1914, pp. 206-224.
[2-ii] Maximilian, Prince of Wied. Reise in das innere Nord-Amerika in den Jahren 1832 bis 1834. Coblenz, 1841, vol. 2, p. 134.
[3-ii] Laufer, Berthold. Some Fundamental Ideas of Chinese Culture, Journal of Race Development, vol. 5, 1914, pp. 160-174.