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is often far in advance of that of the people among whom they condescend to dwell. The idea that " we must explain it some- how " leads to strange theories.
While fully recognizing the value of the data collected by Dr. Wentz and his own enthusiasm and simplicity of purpose, we think his conclusions might have been more convincing had he followed another trend of thought, that which we have indicated above, or which is suggested by the instructive application to the same mounds in Ireland of the words uamh (a cave, or tomb), brugh (a dwelling-place), and sidh (a fairy-haunt). The connection between the buried inhabitant of the tomb and the still living spirit or fairy power presiding within it must never be forgotten. Beyond this, for other sections of the wide-embracing fairy belief we may quote Dr. Hyde's words from his introductory essay, — "If we concede the real objective existence of, let us say, the apparently well- authenticated ' banshee,' where are we to stop.-* for any number of beings, more or less well authenticated, come crowding on her heels, so many, indeed, that they would point to a far more exten- sive world of different shapes than is usually suspected, not to speak of inanimate objects like the coach and ship. Of course there is nothing inherently impossible in all these shapes existing any more than in any one of them existing, but they all seem to me to rest upon the same kind of testimony, stronger in. the case of some, less strong in the case of others, and it is as well to point out this clearly " (p. 26).
Eleanor Hull.
Specimens of Bushman Folklore. Collected by the late W. H. I. Bleek and L. C. Lloyd. Edit, by the latter. Intro, by George M'Call Theal. Translation into English, illustra- tions, and Appendix. George Allen & Co., 1911. 8vo, pp. xl-f468. Col. and other ill.
Hitherto the only trustworthy account of Bushman folklore accessible to students, (and that only to a {^\\ who are the happy possessors of the rare copies that exist), has been comprised in
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