The West African secret societies, according to Capt. F. W. Butt-Thompson, fall into three groups: the mystic and religious, the democratic and patriotic, and the subversive and criminal; some are ancient pagan institutions, others are Mohammedan, there is a group of Mohammedan-pagan societies, and there are more modern ones. The various aspects and activities of the societies, such as organisation, officials, initiation, religious teaching, etc., are given in appropriate chapters with reference to particular societies; thus the reader can appreciate what factors are common to most of them, and so is enabled to gain a bird's-eye view, as it were, of their general functioning. Finally, there is a very brief account of each society.