81
Mr. Goodwin then read his paper “On some Japanese popular Legends.”
At the close of the paper Professor Ayrton asked whether the tales Mr. Goodwin had related were really proved to have any connection with one another? Their apparent identity was indeed very striking, but he thought there were other stories somewhat resembling the above, and which would tend to shew that in any country there were many tales all more or less of the same kind, so that among the number there might happen to he accidentally a legend in one country almost identical in illustration with the legend of another country; for instance the moral of the tales of “the Wen” and of “the Hunchback” is that of the “Forty Thieves” in the Arabian Nights and of the “Tongue-cut sparrow” as told by Mitford. Again, the tales of idle wishes narrated to us by Mr. Goodwin are somewhat similar in character to the German tale of the “Three Black Puddings.” The study of the legends of different countries would, however, as it becomes gradually developed lead to this result, if it lead to no other, that it would shew whether or not legends similar in character had a common origin, and consequently such a study would certainly be valuable.
Dr. Hepburn agreed in the main with Mr. Ayrton, and adduced the fact that proverbs teaching identically similar lessons are to be found among all nations.
Mr. Howell said that the identity of the moral would not be sufficient to establish the claim to relationship, but that identity of illustration went far to prove it.
A paper by Dr. Geerts entitled “Observations on the Climate of Nagasaki in 1872” was then read, in the absence of the writer, by Mr. Brunton.
Mr. Ayrton remarked that mention had been made in Dr. Geerts’ paper of the observations being taken at the time appointed by the International Congress. He would be glad to know whether Dr. Geerts observed four times or only twice during the twenty-four hours. The suggestion contained in the paper that observations made at Tokio, or Yokohama, would be very valuable combined with those of Nagasaki reminded him of the instruments offered some time back to the Asiatic Society by the Signal Bureau at Washington, the conditions of the acceptance being that the observations should be recorded at the hours settled by the International Congress. The matter was, as far as he remembered, placed at the time in the hands of a Committee consisting of Mr. Brunton and Dr. Murray: he would be glad to hear the result, if the plans were matured. Additional interest has been given to Meteorological observations by Professor Balfour Stewart’s review of Provost Lloyd’s “New Treatise on Magnetism,” in which it is shewn that there is a strong reason for believing that the variations of the magnetic elements of a place are produced by atmospheric disturbances in the upper regions, firstly: because the rare air being a partial conductor would have generated