MAMMALIA. 483 



wliicli once inhabited it are represented liy some surviving descendants, wliicli, though 

 Ling and widely separated in eountries onee forming its extreme limits, still preserve 

 most of the characters of their ancestors." 



An interesting account of the manners of the Andamanesc is given by Surgeon 

 Day, in the Proceedings ot the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1870, p. 153, wherein they 

 are deseril)ed as irritable, but not vinilictive, acute in their perceptions, and gilted with 

 good memories. They practise what is called ' Tattooing,' but which is rather 

 scarring the bodies with gashes the third of an inch deep, as their skins are too black 

 to bo cajiable of displaying the patterns impressed in the ordinary fashion by jininted 

 instruments, as anumg the New Zeahmdcrs, the Burmese, and oursidves. The hair, 

 which naturally grows in curly wotjjly tufts, is closely shaved oif their licads, with 

 the exception of a narrow strip, from the crown to the nape, which is, however, kept 

 cut very close, and this custom is regarded by Dr. Day as adopted to avoid annoyanco 

 from insects, a supposition the more probable from the habit which also obtains of 

 plastering the skin with clay or red ochre. Formerly chips of chert wore used in 

 place of knives, but now chips of bottles are used, with greatly increased comfort and 

 efficiency, in shaving and other chirurgieal operations. The hardships with which 

 they have to contend in the struggle for existence, would seem to result in a shorten- 

 ing" of the life of the adult mendiers of the community, and a terril)ly high death rate 

 among the children, few women being able to boast of a family of more than throe 

 living children. This does not in any degree seem to depend on harshness or neglect, 

 as both men and women are described as being fond of their offspring, and infanticide 

 is as little known anumg them as prostitution, but wo as yet hardly know the normal 

 number of birtlis among females of this race. 



Their burial ceremonies are peculiar. The corpse of Jacko, chief of file North 

 tribe, is described as having becm buried in a half-sitting attitude, facing the rising 

 sun, each mourner gently blowing in the face of the corpse as a last farewcdl. The 

 grave was .shallow, being covered by not more than six inches of earth, but this was 

 deemed sufficient where no large earnivora exist to disturb tho remains. "Four 

 mouths subsequently, the nearest of kin wont to the place of sepulture, and brought 

 away the lower jaw, which aljout that time had become divested of flesh, a month 

 aft(!rwards the shoulder bones and a rib were extracted, and after si.x months the 

 skull, now freed from impurities. This was hung round the neck of the principal 

 mourner, and subsequently every one had it in turn to carry about." 



The burial ceremonies vary somewluit, but an essential point seems to be the 

 disinterment of the bones by members of the family, with the object, it would seem, 

 of conciliating, by this attention, the spirit of the dead. Dr. Day adds, " When I was 

 at Tort Mouat, the lluthind chief was in mourning foi' his only child, and was daubed 

 all over with olive-coloured earth (a process which is repeated daily), whilst a rather 

 thick coating of mud covered his head. This mourning lasts for one month. During 

 periods of deep sorrow they are very silent, entirely refraining from the use of red 

 paint, and other decorations, from taking much food, even from eating their 

 favourite pork, whilst honey must not pass their lips, but instead they have to throw 

 honeycomb, if obtainable, into the fire. As soon as the period of mourning has 

 expired, they wash off the olive-coloured earth and revert to their red paint." 



According to Mr. Humfray the aborigines never touch flesh, or even vegetables, 

 uncooked, and cannibalism is entirely uid<;nown among them, which may bo, j)erhaps, 

 attributed to the supply of pork which the wild pigs afford them, for it is quite an 

 ojK'n question if the introduction of pigs into New Zealand had not quite as much 

 to do witli the speedy extinction of cannibalism there, as tho dissemination of an 

 exotic rcdigion.' 



The ordinaiy habitations used by tho aborigines hardly deserve tho name, being 

 composed of a few sticks tied at the top and lightly thatched round with leaves and 

 branches. On Little Andaman, however, beehive-shaped huts aro met with, accord- 

 ing to Capt. Duncan, resembling those on Car Nicobar, only larger, and not raised 



' The question is clearly one eminently adapted for investigation by some learned member of the 

 Victoria Institute. 



