The same process may have been followed by other tribes, and in this way numerals which were originally digital may have disappeared.

But we have no evidence that this has ever happened in any extensive manner.

We are, rather, impelled to accept the occasional numerals of this class as exceptions to the general rule, until we have at our disposal further evidence of an exact and critical nature, which would cause us to modify this opinion.

An elaborate philological study by Dr.J.H.

Trumbull[86] of the numerals used by many of the North American Indian tribes reveals the presence in the languages of these tribes of a few, but only a few, finger names which are used without change as numeral expressions also.