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rays emitted. An experiment which Dr. Rubens showed to the section is of great importance in connection with the interpretation of the phenomena. Light from an electric lantern is focused upon a cold Welsbach mantle, and after reflection therefrom is re-focused upon a white screen, blue cell is interposed to isolate the blue portion of the radiation. If now the Welsbach burner be itself lighted so as to heat the mantle, the image on the screen grows fainter; the mantle is a poorer reflector for blue light at high than at low temperatures, and it is therefore a better radiator when hot. Indeed, a temperature can be found at which it emits as much blue light as a perfectly black body. When the experiment is made with red light the reflected light increases with the temperature. Thus the fact that a Welsbach mantle is white when cold tells one nothing as to the character of radiation it will emit when hot. In the open discussion which followed Prof. S. P. Thompson considered that Dr. Rubens had demolished statements made by Mr. Swinburne in a previous paper. Prof. Callendar put in a word on behalf of Mr. Swinburne, whom he considered to be essentially in the right, though he had probably not laid sufficient stress upon the importance of the selective character of the radiation of ceria. Dr. Rubens expressed himself also as sharing Mr. Swinburne's views. Sir Wm. Ramsay directed attention to Urbain's recent work on phosphorescence, while the recorder of the section emphasised the distinction between the opposing schools by pointing out that, according to the "temperature" school, the radiation of the mantle is the sum of the radiations which would be given out by the thoria and ceria if separated and still at the same temperature, while according to the "chemical" school there is present an additional radiation arising from interaction between the constituents of the mantle. Dr. Rubens did not seem willing to admit that the radiation is wholly of this additive type, although it is so in the main. The discussion was enlivened by the president reading replies which Mr. Swinburne had sent ready for use against those with whom he had previously engaged in controversy. We will now turn to the papers in connection with which no discussion had been organised.

Mr. W. G. Duffield read a paper on photographs of the are spectrum of iron under high pressures. The apparatus by which the pressures were obtained was designed with the help of Mr. Petavel. The photographs which were shown demonstrated clearly that several lines not merely widen out, but undergo an actual shift towards the red.

Major E. H. Hills and Prof. J. Larmor communicated a paper on the irregular motions of the earth's pole, being a preliminary graphical analysis of their causes. In the ensuing discussion Mr. R. D. Oldham asserted that the amount of matter transferred in a recent Indian earthquake was at least 10,000 times that assumed by the authors. Prof. Schuster was inclined to question the accuracy of the observations themselves owing to their minuteness; the whole shift of axis under discussion amounts only to about 20 feet. Besides, the yielding of the earth owing to the shift of its axis might be the determining cause producing the earthquake, and not vice derså.

Prof. H. H. Turner read a note on a possible effect of vibration on zenith distance observations, with special reference to the tremors which threaten the Roval Observ

atory at Greenwich. The special effect referred to is similar to one observed long ago in Ireland due to the Ulster railway. If the telescope is set and a train passes the adjustment is found afterwards to be upset. The tremor of the passing train causes a release of any existing strain. Even if at each passage the release of strain may not produce a visible effect, yet the continued action of tremors will be to produce a gradual settling down of the instrument at a different rate from that at which it would proceed if tremors were absent. In the discussion the Astronomer Royal for Scotland declared that in his observatory they were probably free from any tremors, except those caused by their own lathes. The following papers on cosmical physics were also read:-the Astronomer Roval for Scotland, spectroscopic observations of solar eclipses; Prof. Schuster and Prof. H. H. Turner, a note on rainfall; the Rev. A. L. Cortie, the connection between

disturbed areas of the solar surface and the solar corona; Miss C. O. Stevens, telescopic observations of meteorological phenomena; the Right Hon. the Earl of Rosse, the measurement of lunar radiation; Mr. J. E. Clark, the York rainfall and sun-spots; and Dr. W. J. S. Lockyer, some barometric and rainfall changes of an oscillatory

nature.

In the department of general physics, Mr. C. E. S. Phillips described a glass of low electrical resistivity consisting of thirty-two parts of sodium silicate to eight parts calcined borax, to which 1.25 parts Powell's flint glass is added in order to increase the stability. This glass is intended to be used for the windows of electrostatic instruments which require to be electrically shielded. Its electrical conductivity is about 500 times that of the most conducting glass hitherto made. When powdered and fused on to clean copper, it adheres well without cracking. The change of resistivity with heat is being examined. In the discussion Mr. Rosenhain mentioned that glasses of the general composition of this one were not unknown in the trade. Dr. Erich Ladenburg gave an account of his researches on nearly pure gaseous ozone. This has a dark blue colour in a thickness of 30 cm. In the absorption spectrum were discovered five new bands which do not belong to ozone, but which always appear when the liquid ozone is allowed to vaporise. The gas to which they belong can be separated from ozone. The change of volume which occurs when the new gas is transformed and the value of the density indicate that the new gas is a more complex form of oxygen. In the discussion Dr. Rubens, in whose laboratory the research had been conducted, expressed his belief that it consists of hexatomic oxygen. Mr. Herbert Stansfield showed a series of photographs of thin liquid films in which the two kinds of grey and the three kinds of black are sharply distinguishable from one another. A paper by the Rev. B. J. Whiteside was communicated and read by Prof. F. T. Trouton, the subject being the rate of decay of the phosphorescence of Balmain's paint. The photometer employed depended upon the inverse square law. The standard light which was emitted through a small hole could be moved to various distances from an opalescent screen placed adjacent to the surface of luminous paint in a box. The distance was adjusted so as to maintain the intensity of the two illuminations the same, and the times corresponding to equal shifts of the standard were recorded on a revolving drum. The law of variation of intensity was found to be capable of representation by the formula I=1/(a+bt), where t is the time reckoned from that at which the paint ceased to be exposed to the exciting light. This result is of great interest, inasmuch as the same law arises in connection with the recovery of overstressed bodies, and this correspondence suggests that the mechanism involved may be similar in the two cases.

Sir Wm. Ramsay and Dr. J. F. Spencer described experiments on the chemical and electrical changes induced by ultra-violet light. These were in some cases confirmatory of what had previously been done in connection with this interesting subject. The result of greatest novelty and importance is that the fatigue of the surfaces was found to vary in a peculiar way. The rate of falling off when plotted against the time yields a curve presenting obvious breaks. In the case of dyad metals there are two of these breaks, and two places of constant rate of tiring; for tetrad metals four of these stages are observed. The paper was read by Dr. Spencer, and Sir Wm. Ramsay followed with an extended statement showing how the electronic theory of matter accounts for the photoelectric effects observed. Dr. O. W. Richardson mentioned that Dr. Smolochowski in some unpublished experiments had succeeded in showing that in a high vacuum the decay phenomena cease to take place.

An important paper was contributed by Mr. F. Soddy on the positive charge carried by the alpha particle of radium C. The substance of this paper has already appeared in the form of a letter in NATURE for August 2. Is or is not the alpha particle charged when it commences its separate existence? Mr. Soddy thinks he has proved that it is not so charged, and, assuming the validity of this conclusion, he considers that possibly too much stress

has been laid on the importance of electricity in connection with radio-active changes. Papers by Prof. E. H. Barton and J. Penzer and by Prof. W. F. Barrett were taken as read in the absence of the authors.

In the department of mathematics, Prof. A. C. Dixon read a paper on expansions in products of oscillatory functions, being an extension of a paper published recently by the author in the Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society. It deals with the expansion of a function of two variables f(x, y) in the form (x)(y), where and are functions of given type. Prof. W. H. H. Hudson described an analytical investigation of the curves traversed by a particle in a cyclonic storm. The curves appear to agree fairly well with observation, thus justifying the assumptions on which they are calculated. Lieut.-Colonel A. Cunningham gave some new properties of certain high powers of 2 called hyper-even numbers. Prof. A. R. Forsyth gave an interesting account of a revised theory of the solution of Lagrange's linear equation Pp+Qq=R. He showed that the solution hitherto accepted as the most general, viz. ¥=f(u, v), where ua, v=b are any two independent integrals of the equations dx/P=dy/Q=dz/R, is not in reality the most general, and that other solutions exist which cannot be put in the usual form. Major P. A. MacMahon read a paper on two new symmetric functions which showed certain very interesting reciprocal relations between two sets of algebraic quantities. Papers by Mr. H. Hilton, on finite groups; by Prof. T. J. I'A. Bromwich, on multiple series, giving a new test for the convergence of a double series of positive terms; by Mr. A. R. Richardson, on many-valued functions of real variables; and by Prof. Alfred Lodge, on a new method of computing Bessel functions for high values of the argument, were read by Dr. L. N. G. Filon in the absence of the authors. The last paper was the means of the creation of a new committee with a small grant for the purpose of the further tabulation of Bessel functions.

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Besides these papers there were the usual reports of committees, which contain much interesting matter. This is especially the case with the seismological report. fortunately the programme of the section was so full that the reading of these and of other papers had to be cut down. In order to indicate how full the programme was, it may be mentioned that on the Tuesday morning meeting the section met in three departments simultaneously, as well as at the same time sending representatives to two other sections where joint discussions were being held. In spite of this segregation the separate departments were very well attended. Altogether great interest was taken by the committee and members of the association in making the meetings a success. A. W. P.

ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE BRITISH
ASSOCIATION.

THE Anthropological Section met this year in the
Victoria Hall, York, under the presidency of Mr. E.
Sidney Hartland.

The president delivered his address on Thursday morning, August 2, taking for his subject recent research in the origin of magic and religion. After tracing the universal belief held by savage peoples that objects, animate or inanimate, are endued with a life and personality which is not confined to any particular object, but to all alike, Mr. Hartland showed how this personality was not only endowed with qualities, but by virtue of these very qualities possessed a potentiality and atmosphere of its own. This potentiality is known among some tribes by the name orenda, among others by the name mana, but by whatever name it is called the idea is substantially the same. In this orenda is found the root of all magic and religion. Magic is primarily an application of orenda. By his orenda a man bewitches his enemy. . causes rain or sunshine. divines the cause of sickness and cures it, raises the dead, spells out the future." His incantations and spells would be useless without this. Similarly, prayer is an application of orenda; in fact, this belief in a man's supernatural power and the efficacy by which the supernatural can be used to benefit man is the foundation of

religion. The medicine man, shaman, or priest is merely the possessor of a more powerful orenda than his neighbour. It might be objected that this theory was upset by the Australians, and especially the Arunta, who are supposed to be in a state of primitive atheism; but not one of the Australian tribes is, strictly speaking, primitive, and in none of them is the idea of religion entirely absent, and what ideas they have are not at variance with, but complementary to, the theory here suggested.

The remainder of the morning was taken up with papers on general ethnology.

Messrs. T. A. Joyce and E. Torday communicated a paper, notes on the ethnography of the Ba-Yaka. These people, who live between the Inzia and Kwangu rivers, tributaries of the Kasai, in the Congo State, have not previously been described, and the paper was consequently of unusual interest and value. Their culture, which is distinctly allied to the primitive West African type, proves them to be closely connected with the tribes on their southern and western borders. The men are small bur well built. They do not practise cannibalism, but eat practically every other kind of flesh. They are skilled in handicrafts, but they have never heard of stone implements The tribe is ruled by one paramount chief, but each village is immediately governed by a petty chief. The dead are buried in a sitting position, and the people believe that the soul leaves the body at death and visits the living in dreams. In the case of important persons it is thought that the soul is transferred to the body of a large animal. Mr. F. W. Knocker read a paper on the aborigines of Sungei Ujong, who inhabit the hills to the north and northwest of Negri Sembilan, in the Malay States. The people are short but well built, with thick black hair and dark brown eyes. They have no birth, marriage, or death ceremonies, no religion or belief in an existence after death, nor do they practise any form of magic or witchcraft. Their chief weapon is the blow-pipe, with poisoned

darts.

In a short discussion several speakers expressed thenselves as very sceptical as to the absence of religious beliets among the people, and Mr. Knocker, while stating that he had made every possible inquiry, admitted that the natives were extremely reticent when questioned on such matters

Mr. S. S. Buckman communicated a paper on marriag and mating, in which he contested the views of Mr. Lang and Dr. Westermarck; and the morning's work was cu cluded by a paper on the Bushmen of Basutoland, by Mr S. S. Dornan, in which he had collected all that is at present known about these interesting people.

In the afternoon the report of the committee appointed to explore the lake village at Glastonbury was taken. The work on this site is now nearing its completion, and in the past season a large area situated in the north-west corner of the village was explored. During the exploration another dwelling site, hitherto unrecognised, was brought to light, bringing the total number up to eighty-three. The finds were well up to the average of former years.

Dr. A. C. Haddon then gave an illustrated lecture on the ethnology of South Africa, in which he dealt chiefte with the manners and customs of the tribes whom he came across during the visit of the association to South Africa last year.

On Friday, August 3, the papers were generally of an archæological character.

Major P. Molesworth Sykes exhibited a collection ~/ bronze weapons and implements found near Khinaman, ir south-east Persia. The find consisted of five bowls, t pins, two knives, two javelin heads, two armlets u ordinary penannular form, two axe-heads, two rods with curved ends, and some clay vessels.

Notes on the collection were communicated by Canon Greenwell. The objects are undoubtedly grave goods, and are of the utmost interest on account of the light they throw upon the early metallic culture of the country The bowls are of hammered copper, and one of them provided with a handle or spout. It is difficult to <1 what the rods represent, but they may be symbols f authority. The axes are the most important part of the find. They were not weapons, as the method of fastening the handles precluded them being used for cutting. The

The paper led to an interesting discussion. Sir John Evans considered the axes ceremonial, and in some respects similar to Egyptian and Mesopotamian examples. He thought the pottery was of no great antiquity, but beyond that would make no attempt at dating. Prof. Ridgeway considered the objects were of a date within the Christian era, possibly the first or second century, but perhaps even later. Prof. Petrie felt certain that the axes were ceremonial. He hazarded the suggestion that the curved rods might have been models of polo sticks, on the analogy of games found in Egyptian burials. He considered the date of the find to be either late B.C. or early A.D.

Mr. E. M. Andrews communicated a note on the Webster ruin, Rhodesia. So far as is known the ruin is unique, as it is situated within a sacred enclosure containing a large number of graves. The building was probably intended to be circular. Immediately in front of the entrance, which is rounded, are pairs of monoliths, apparently to guard it. Other monoliths are distributed among the graves. The building appears to have been a royal tomb.

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Prof. Ridgeway read a paper on the origin of the guitar and fiddle. He argued that these instruments were developed from the shell of the tortoise, as there was Tradition that Hermes made such an instrument, and Pausanias speaks of tortoises existing in Arcadia. There ran therefore be little doubt that instruments with a tortoiseshell sounding-board existed in Greece. The waist of the instrument developed from the slightly narrowing waist of the shell. Guitars of tortoiseshell are still in use in some parts of the Mediterranean basin.

Prof. R. C. Bosanquet gave an account of the excavations undertaken at Sparta by the British School at Athens. The wall of the Acropolis was traced, and general conclusions were drawn as to the extent and disposition of the town at different periods. The famous sanctuary of Artemis Orthia was examined, and although its complete examination will take at least another season, many interesting finds have already been made, including geometric pottery and ivories, some of which show interesting affinities to those discovered by Mr. Hogarth in the Artemisia at Ephesus. These Spartan ivories were associated with spiral fibulæ and other bronze objects, lead figurines and masks, some undoubtedly intended to be worn. These masks point to the existence of some dramatic performances connected with the temple, and, in fact, in the third century A.D., a theatre-like building was constructed in the temenos, the proscenium of which was the front of the temple.

Mr. T. E. Peet communicated a paper on the prehistoric civilisation of southern Italy, with especial reference to Campania. The object of the paper was to discuss Prof. Pigorini's interpretation of the discovery of a well-marked terramare settlement in Scoglio del Tonno. The general Conclusion arrived at was that the culture of Campania derived its Villanovan elements from the north, and that Scoglio del Tonno was the result of an isolated raid of terramare people, not a representative of a widespread culture of Italic type.

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In the afternoon Miss L. F. Pesel read a paper on the evolution of design in Greek and Turkish embroideries. The materials on which the paper was based were collected in Greek lands round the shores of the Egean. embroideries are of various ages and styles; the earliest can be dated 1760, but the designs show the influence of Byzantine art modified by contact with Oriental styles from Asia Minor and Persia and with Italian art of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

On Monday, August 6, the papers were again archæological, and, with the exception of two, dealt with the early antiquities of England.

Messrs. F. W. Rudler and W. H. Dalton communicated a paper on the "red hills" of the east coast salt marshes. The hills are low mounds of burnt earth, and are scattered along the estuarine marshes of the east coast. They have

been the subject of much speculation and controversy, but no satisfactory conclusions have been arrived at, except that they appear to be of Roman date.

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A paper was communicated by Dr. E. Cartailhac entitled Découverte archéologique,' "which recorded the discovery, in the grotto at Gargas, of hands painted in red on the walls of the cavern. These hands have distinct affinities with similar paintings found in Australia. It is noticeable that at Gargas left hands predominate.

Miss Nina F. Layard read a paper on the Paleolithic site at Ipswich, supplementary to two papers laid before the association at former meetings. The finds of implements have, on the whole, been up to the average of former years, but the most important result was the discovery that the two layers of the pit, which seemed to point to two distinct and widely separated dates, are in reality one, and have been separated by a layer of mud silting in. This would account for the occurrence of tools of a similar type in the upper and lower gravels, and tends to show that the pit must be dated from the highest position in which the implements were found.

Miss Layard also read a paper on an Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Ipswich. Thirty-three graves were found from which numerous relics were taken, the most important being fibula of a type rarely met with in England, one being cruciform with a stud in the bow. Remnants of garments, consisting of a loosely-woven plaited fabric with a dress of coarse material above, were found adhering to one of the brooches.

An account of excavations in another Anglo-Saxon cemetery, at South Cave, Yorkshire, was given by Mr. T. Sheppard. Several skeletons were found, and with one, a female, was associated an exceptionally fine series of ornaments which appear not to have been previously worn, but to have been new when interred. The relics consisted of amber and glass beads, annular and other fibulæ, a pair of girdle hangers, and brooches. With a male skeleton several iron objects were discovered.

Mr. Sheppard also gave an account of some Roman and other remains from South Ferriby, on the Humber, now in the Hull Museum. The collection consisted of coins, fibulæ, rings, &c., mostly of bronze, as well as of specimens of Samian ware and other pottery. The objects were probably from the site of a small Roman camp and cemetery.

A collection of pygmy flint implements from Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, made by the Rev. R. Scott-Gatty, was exhibited by Dr. G. A. Auden.

Two important reports of committees were taken as read. The first, on the age of stone circles, chronicled the results of diggings at the Stripple Stones in Cornwall, with the result that the date of the circle is shown to be not earlier than late Neolithic or later than early Bronze age times. The other report, of the committee to conduct explorations on Roman sites in Britain, gave some account of recent excavations at Caerwent, Melandra Castle, Newstead near Melrose and Silchester.

Mr. D. G. Hogarth gave an account of the recent exploration on the site of Ephesus, and of the discovery of the primitive Artemisia.

In the afternoon Dr. T. Ashby, jun., described the excavations now being conducted at Caerwent. During the first part of the season the inner side of the south gate was cleared, and the inner arch was found to be to a great extent still preserved. The rest of the season was spent on work in the northern half of the town. Five buildings were excavated, one of which appears to have been the public bath. Of the other buildings, one possessed a colonnade, while in another remains of painted plaster were found on one of the walls, which was preserved for a height of more than 10 feet. Two wells were also excavated, and yielded a number of plant remains.

Dr. Ashby also gave an illustrated lecture on recent discoveries in the Roman Forum, in which he detailed the results obtained during the past year in the excavations. These included the discovery of the Lacus Curtius, of the tribunal prætorium, and of the position of the rostra. The place where Cæsar's body was burnt and the base of the equestrian statue of Diocletian were also found.

The work on Tuesday morning dealt exclusively with

physical anthropology, and the papers led up to a discussion on the physical characters of the races of Britain.

Dr. F. C. Shrubsall gave a demonstration of the methods of determining racial characters, in which he explained the meaning of the various terms used in craniology, and showed the distribution of the various races in Europe.

Dr. G. A. Auden exhibited a collection of crania, all from the neighbourhood of York, and to a great extent from the collection of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. The exhibit included specimens of Celtic, pre-Roman, and Roman skulls, while one series showed the great change in head for which took place in York after the Norman conquest. Some of the Roman skulls had a sentimental interest, as they were from coffins unearthed in York and the names and ages of the persons were known.

A paper by Messrs. H. Brodrick and C. A. Hill on a recently discovered skeleton in Sooska cave was then read. The bones, which all belong to one individual, were found under a layer of stalagmite. The skeleton is that of a female Celt, and the skull is brachycephalic. Above the right mastoid process is an irregularly shaped hole, evidently the cause of death. The height appears to have been about 5 feet 3 inches.

Mr. J. R. Mortimer communicated a paper on the relative stature of the men with long heads, short heads, and those with intermediate heads in the museum at Driffield. Some doubt was thrown on the correctness of the figures, but if correct the paper was most important, as it entirely reversed the accepted theories as to the height of the Neolithic peoples of Britain, showing that the long-headed Neolithic man was taller than the broad-headed Neolithic and Bronze age man.

Mr. J. Gray read a paper on England before the English, in which, after stating the present condition of our knowledge of the subject, he argued that Neolithic man corresponds with the present Mediterranean race, and that the Anglo-Saxons and other fair races of northern Europe are a variety of Neolithic man with somewhat broader heads. The Bronze age race, which subsequently settled in Britain, was brachycephalic and tall, and came by sea from the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor.

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At the conclusion of the papers Dr. W. Wright opened the discussion on the physical characters of the races of Britain. After quoting Cæsar to show that the coastal was occupied by the Belgic Gauls and the interior by another race, he argued that all the evidence pointed to the fact that a mixed race came to Britain in Neolithic times, and that the population was not a pure broad- or a pure long-headed one.

Dr. Shrubsall urged the necessity of knowing exactly where skulls were found, considering that as careful evidence was required as in geology. He thought it a mistake to deal only with the length and breadth of the skull, and felt that the proportions of the face were just as important. Also all work required revision on biometric lines. As to coloration, which was very important, he pointed out that the Anglo-Saxons never called the Welsh dark, and felt that it was by no means certain that the Britons were a dark people. He also considered it quite possible that there was a Teutonic element in the population before Roman times.

Prof. Ridgeway insisted that all classical references speak of the Celts as a fair or rufous and tall race, and considered that there was no evidence of a pre-Celtic language in Britain.

Mr. J. L. Myres urged Prof. Rhys's view as to there being a non-Aryan structure in Welsh and Irish, and also protested against the practice of arbitrarily drawing conclusions from skull measurements.

Prof. Petrie considered that a prima facie case had been made out for an invasion of Britain, even in pre-Brythonic times, by a mixed race, but felt that much more material was needed before any definite conclusions could be drawn.

Dr. C. S. Myers threw doubt on the "Crania Britannica" records as perhaps affected by the collection of type skulls, and Mr. H. Fleure gave some account of the anthropometric work at present in progress in Wales.

The general conclusion to be drawn from the discussion was that it is of paramount importance that the existing material should be revised by improved methods, and that a better comparison with Continental data is essential.

In the afternoon Prof. Petrie gave an illustrated lecture on the Hyksos and other work of the British School of Archæology in Egypt. The most important work was the excavation of a great camp of the Hyksos or Shepherd Kings. The camp consists of an earth bank faced on its outer slope with white stucco, and with a slope, more than 200 feet long, serving as an entrance. This slope does not pierce the wall, but goes over it. Flanking walls were added to command this entrance, and the whole scheme of defence proves that archery was the only arm employed Some sixty years later a wall of limestone was built outside the bank. There seems little doubt that the plate is Avaris, and the account in Manetho's chronicle agrees with the arrangement of this site. The people appear to have been Semites from Syria and Mesopotamia. Other work resulted in the discovery of the city of Raamses, built by the Israelites, and of the town and temple of Onias, under whom the Jews founded a settlement in the second century B.C.

The work of the section concluded on Wednesday morn ing, August 8. Mr. J. L. Myres read a paper on early traces of human types in the Egean. The population o the Ægean area as far back as the beginning of the Bronz age, before which there is no evidence, was not a pureis Mediterranean type of dolichocephalic man, as brachycephalic individuals occur sporadically over the whole dis trict. Egean culture, therefore, cannot be the exclusive production of "Mediterranean "* man. This evidence for brachycephalic types in the Ægean, when compared with the evidence as to the existence of a very pure brachycephalic race in the Balkan and Anatolian highlands, makes it probable that these latter people were established in the highlands at least as early as the beginning of the Egean Bronze age, and were in competition with dolichocephalic

Mediterranean "man. Intruders from the north cannot have been brachycephalic, as the steppe of southern Russia was inhabited from Neolithic to Classical times by a dolichocephalic population. It seems improbable that the brunet dolichocephalic type of the southern Ægean could have arrived by a land route, owing to the presence of a brachycephalic type in the Balkan and Anatolian highlands, while its brunetness precludes affiliation to the dolichocephalic peoples of the north. This type, therefore must be considered an immigration by sea from North Africa, and its littoral habits are a strong argument in favour of this view.

Dr. T. Ashby, jun., and Mr. D. Mackenzie communi cated a paper on the ethnology of Sardinia.

Two papers were then read by Dr. W. H. R. Rivers. The first, entitled "A Survival of Two-fold Origin," deali with the relation between a man and his maternal uncle This connection, although in most races a survival from mother-right, in India originates, in many cases, in the regulation that the children of a brother and sister shoul marry one another. This involves that a man's maternal uncle is also his actual or potential father-in-law. practice is now chiefly confined to the southern parts India.

Dr. Rivers's other paper dealt with the astronomy of islanders of the Torres Straits, who group together many stars in constellations, which often represent mythal persons. In Murray Island private property was found in stars, two stars being the property of two men who hat inherited them from their ancestors.

Two physical papers were communicated by Dr

W. L. H. Duckworth. The first directed attention & rare anomaly in human crania from Kwaiawata Istand New Guinea, the anomaly consisting in the presence small but sharp spicular projections of bone spring" from the margin of the nose due to a bony deposit for in fibrous bands, which in all cases exist in a corresp ing situation. Dr. Duckworth's other paper w chronicle of observations made on a " eunuchoid in the Anatomy School, Cambridge.

The last paper presented was a demonstration of phographs of racial types by Mr. T. E. Smurthwaite. Smurthwaite has evolved a new classification of the rsof man from observations of the contours of the head face, and he resolves all the races into six common types Three important reports were taken as read, nam that of the committee to conduct anthropometric Inv