750 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



into a spiral of small diameter. The degree of twist and consequent 

 woolliness of the hair seems to be dependent on its being oval or flat- 

 tened instead of cylindrical. In the straight-haired races and in most 

 Europeans the hair has a circular section, which becomes slightly oval 

 where it is naturally curly ; but in the negro and Papuan it is much 

 flattened, and has besides irregular wavy margins, which seem to pro- 

 duce the strong spiral twist. Those who possess a large mop of hair 

 are very proud of it, keeping it continually combed out with a kind of 

 bamboo fork, and using a narrow wooden pillow on which to rest the 

 nape of the neck, so as to preserve the hair from being squeezed out of 

 shape. It was long thought that the hair of these people possessed a 

 pecuhar character in growing in separate small tufts scattered uniformly 

 over the scalp ; but more accurate examination shows that it grows 

 evenly over the surface of the head, and that the tufted appearance prob- 

 ably arises from the tendency of the spirally twisted hairs to mat to- 

 gether in small, curly locks. The hair on the body and limbs, though 

 very short, has the same appearance and a similar structure. 



The dress of these people is very scanty, the men wearing the usual 

 T-bandage of bark-cloth, but in some cases only a shell, or even going 

 absolutely naked ; while the women always wear some kind of girdle 

 from which is suspended a small apron of bark or a fringe of leaves. As 

 with most savages, ornament is more attended to than dress, and is 

 more used by the men than by the women. They often pierce the sides 

 of the nose, sticking in them pieces of bone, feathers, or tusks of the wild 

 pig. The ears are also pierced, and either shell ear-rings are worn, or 

 sticks ornamented with feathers are stuck through the lobes. Necklaces 

 of teeth or shells are common, and heavy rings of white shell or plaited 

 bands of grass or palm-leaf are worn on the arms. The hair of the men 

 is always carefully attended to. It is combed with a kind of bamboo 

 fork with four or five prongs, and this is usually kept stuck in it both 

 for convenience and ornament. Some tribes cut and trim or plait the 

 mop of hair into various helmet-like or other fantastic shapes, and all 

 adorn it with combs, sticks, or feather ornaments. Suspended from 

 the neck they often wear a small carved Avooden figure with the Papuan 

 features greatly exaggerated. As they freely part with these, they are 

 probably mere ornaments or charms rather than idols or fetiches. Reg- 

 ular tattooing is unknown, except on the southeastern peninsula where 

 there is an infusion of Polynesian blood, but most of the men have 

 raised marks produced artificially. These generally consist of a few short 

 parallel lines on the arms or breast, and are said to be formed by gashes 

 made with a sharp stone or bamboo, and the subsequent application of 

 fire to make the skin swell up and leave a prominent scar. Painting 

 the body is not generally practiced, but some kind of stain producing a 

 blue-black tinge has often been observed. — Contemporary Meview. 



