682 SECOND NOTE ON "MACRODONTISM" OF THE MELANESIANS, 



A SECOND NOTE ON "MACRODONTISM" OF THE 

 MELANESIANS. (1) 



By N. de Miklouho-Maclay. 

 (Plate XLIX.) 



In the resume of the results of Anthropological Observations 

 during a trip to Melanesia in 1879-80, (2) I have stated inter alia, 

 that I had the opportunity of making further observations re 

 "Macrodontism" in the Admiralty Islands and the Lub Archipelago. 



Whenlfirst (in 1876) discovered thispeculiarity at the Admiralty 

 Islands, the natives, who had been before then very little in 

 contact with white men, were exceedingly shy, and it was only a 

 chance and a matter of some tact and great patience to induce the 

 natives to let me examine, measure, and sketch their teeth. A closer 

 inspection was completely out of question, they would resist or 

 run away at once. It was therefore not easy to come to a decided 

 opinion about the nature of the enlargement of the teeth. 



At the Islands of Lub, I succeeded at last in obtaining a piece 

 of an enlarged tooth, the microscopical and chemical examination of 

 which might decide the question of the nature of " Macrodontism." 

 For various reasons, I decided to send the above-mentioned 

 specimen to Prof.Virchow at Berlin, but, to my greatest annoyance, 

 the small parcel given in charge of a gentleman going from Sydney 

 to Europe, was lost by his carelessness (was forgotten in the cabin, 

 when changing the steamer at Point de Galle). I was informed 

 about the loss of this interesting specimen only on my return from 

 the cruise amongst the Islands of Melanesia (1879 and 1880), 



(1) My first note "On Macrodontism," appeared in the Proceed, of the 

 Linn. Soc. of N.S.W., Vol. III., p. 169. 



(2) A resiim^ of the results of Anthropological and Anatomical Researches 

 in Melanesia and Australia (March 1879 — January 18S1) in the Proceed, of 

 the Linn. Soc. of N.S.W., Vol. VI., p. 171. 



