The systems of relationship of the Banks Islands possess certain very remarkable features which were first recorded by Dr. Codrington.[10] Put very shortly, it may be stated that cross-cousins stand to one another in the relation of parent and child, or, more exactly, cross-cousins apply to one another terms of relationship which are otherwise used between parents and children. A man applies to his mother’s brother’s children the term which he otherwise uses for his own children, and, conversely, a person applies to his father’s sister’s son a term he otherwise uses for his father. Thus, in the following diagram, _C_ will apply to _D_ and _e_ the terms which are in general use for a son and daughter, while _D_ and _e_ will apply to _C_ the term they otherwise use for their father. [10] _The Melanesians_, p. 38. [Illustration: DIAGRAM 2. +----------------------------+ | | B = a A = b | | | +----------+----------+ | | | C D e ] In most forms of the classificatory system members of different generations are denoted in wholly different ways and belong to different classes,[11] but here we have a case in which persons of the same generation as the speaker are classed with those of an older or a younger generation. [11] I leave out of account here those cases in which members of different generations are denoted by a reciprocal term.