that, in general, the languages of the American aborigines "are not so well adapted to generalized statements as to lively descriptions." The holophrastic terms characteristic of so many American Indian languages "are not due to a lack of power to classify, but are rather expressions of form of culture, single terms being intended for those ideas of prime importance to the people" (Boas). This consideration of American primitive tongues in their relation to culture-types opens up a comparatively new field of research, and one of much evolutional significance. As a result of the most recent and authoritative philological investigations, the following may be cited as some of the chief characteristics of many, and in some cases, of most of the languages of the aborigines north of Mexico. 1. Tendency to express ideas with great graphic detail as to place, form, &c. 2. "Polysynthesis," a device making possible, by the use of modifications of stems and radicals and the employment of prefixes, suffixes, and sometimes infixes, &c., the expression of a large number of special ideas. By such methods of composition (to cite two examples from Boas) the Eskimo can say at one breath, so to speak, "He only orders him to go and see," and the Tsimshian, "He went with him upward in the dark and came against an obstacle." The Eskimo _Takusariartorumagaluarnerpâ?_ ("Do you think he really intends to go to look after it?") is made up from the following elements: _Takusar_(_pâ_), "he looks after it"; _iartor_ (_poq_), "he goes to"; _uma_ (_voq_), "he intends to"; (_g_) _aluar_ (_poq_), "he does so, but"; _nerpoq_, "do you think he." The Cree "word" "_kekawewechetushekamikowanowow_" ("may it," i.e. the grace of Jesus Christ, "remain with you") is resolvable into: _Kelawow_ (here split into _ke_ at the beginning and _-owow_ as terminal), "you" (pl.); _ka_ = sign of futurity (first and second persons); _we_ = an optative particle; _weche_ = "with"; _tusheka_ = verbal radical, "remain"; _mik_ = pronominal particle showing that the subject of the verb is in the third person and the object in the second, "it-you"; _owan_ = verbal possessive particle, indicating that the subject of the verb is something inanimate belonging to the animate third person, "his-it." The Carrier (Athabaskan) _lekoenahweshoendoethoenoezkrok_, "I usually recommence to walk to and fro on all fours while singing," which Morice calls "a simple word," is built up from the following elements: _le_ = "prefix expressing reciprocity, which, when in connexion with a verb of locomotion, indicates that the movement is executed between two certain points without giving prominence to either"; _koe_ = particle denoting direction toward these points; _na_ = "iterative particle, suggesting that the action is repeated"; _hwe_ = particle referring to the action as being in its incipient stage; _shoen_ =