We are greatly indebted to Professor M. N. Srinivas, the distinguished Indian social anthropologist, for the task Of arranging and editing this volume and for his i1 laminating Introduction, in which he traces the develop ment of radcliffe-brown's methodological and theoreti cal conceptions. Our thanks are also due the publishers of the South African Journal of Science and of Nature, and the Officers of the British Association for the Advance ment of Science and the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, for permission to reprint the published essays included in this volume.