Correspondence. 233
to Mrs. Banks, (30 Lambolle Rd., London, N.W.), who will forward full particulars and instructions.
Henry B. Wheatley, ^,
The Charlotte S. Burne,
Arthur R. Wright, J ^^^^^ Mary M. Banks, Committee.
Institut Ethnographique International de Paris.
Several leading French ethnographers, with M. J. de Morgan as President, propose to establish a new Society under the title of " Institut Ethnographique International de Paris." It will deal with the subject of human culture in all its branches. It proposes to establish a great Musee de Civilisations, and will, for the present, be represented by the well-known Revue d' Ethno- graphic et de Sociologie. Ultimately it is intended that the Institute shall publish a series of Memoirs. This great project will, it is hoped, receive co-operation from English scholars, who are invited to communicate with the Secretary, M. M. G. Regelsperger, rue la Boetie 85, Paris VHP.
Chinese Tree-worship and Trial by Ordeal.
In June, 1906, was reproduced in Folk-Lore(^. 190) a photograph of a tree near Yung-Ping-Fu city in Chihli province, sent to me by my friend the Rev. J. Hinds, then of Tongshan. Through the kindness of the same friend, and of his colleague. Dr. Baxter, I am now able to present a print of an old willow-tree (Plate XL), which is still an object of worship, and stands by the side of the highway within the borders of Chihli and about 18 // {i.e. six miles) from Ning Ching. The tree will probably not remain much longer a conspicuous object in the landscape, as it is quite dead, and is only held up by a section of the lower trunk.i Late last autumn some people burning incense to it set it on fire,
^As this page is going to press, I have received a letter telling me that the tree was blown down last spring. Probably, as in other like cases, it will be explained that the tree-spirit removed before the fire to another home.
