_Cousinship._--There appear to be various ways of computing
relationship. The following is the mode which I have usually adopted,
and I should be glad to know whether or not it is strictly correct:
James
|
+----+----+
| |
John William
| |
David George
| |
Thomas Henry
| |
Edward Robert
In the above pedigree Thomas and Henry are _second_ cousins; Edward and
Robert _third_ cousins; and so on. If I am asked what relation Henry is
to David, I reply they are _first_ and _second_ cousins; or else I
_invert_ the answer, and say that David is Henry's _first_ cousin once
removed: on the principle of making the relationship as near as possible
by stating the degree of the older ascendant: in other words, I do not
say that Henry is David's _second_ cousin once removed. In like manner,
David and Robert are _first_ and _third_ cousins; or David is Robert's
_first_ cousin twice removed.