170 THE PEOCEEDINGS OE THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



results. I observed a considerable irregularity of the teeth, 

 which are mostly very protruding, and I soon found out that it 

 was owing to the enormous size of those of the front row. The 

 sketch herewith shows certain parts of the mouth in its natural 

 size. Generally it was the incisors of the upper jaw which were 

 enlarged, but sometimes those of the lower jaw showed the same 

 peculiarity ; in some individuals the canine teeth seemed also 

 enlarged. The teeth were thick in proportion, and as seen from 

 above (or from below) they formed a sort of grinding surface, 

 which sometimes even was tuberculate. 



" These people had a great aversion to my measuring their 

 teeth or making a drawing of them, some of them I persuaded 

 through presents, others through surprise, where their astonish- 

 ment and perhaps fear left them without defence in my hands ; 

 but only for a shorfc time ; they missed no opportunity to escape, 

 and showed such an impatience that the measuring and drawing 

 were made very difficult. Wherever I could I lost no opportunity 

 to measure as exactly as possible, but I regret that my examina- 

 tion could not be a complete one. I have added the measure- 

 ments to my sketches, but must observe that I had not the 

 opportunity of sketching the most characteristic individuals ; I 

 had to content myself with the good natured and tiniid ones ; 

 some very magnificent representatives of these large-teethed 

 people (of whom I observed several dozen on the Admiralty 

 Islands, and on the Island of Agomes or Hermit Island) refused 

 very decidedly to have their teeth sketched or even measured. 



" To some of these people, whose large teeth were quite loose 

 and could easily have been extracted with little pain, 1 offered one 

 and even two axes for one big tooth ; but even the desire to 

 obtain the axes was not strong enough against the firm super- 

 stition that in that case the person would die. 



" Later on I succeeded at the Island of Agomes in obtaining a 

 piece of a big tooth from a man, who, having no big teeth of his 

 own, very likely was selling that of a relation. 



" These large-teethed people do not form a distinct tribe, they 

 are to be found distributed amongst the population. Some are, 

 indeed, magnificent specimens ; I have measured some incisor 



