Tasmanidn Crania. 55 



racial aduiixtiire, but l)y local isolation on a vast continent due 

 to defective communication. " In this way," says Klaatsch, 

 " there has been time and room enough to effect local specialisa- 

 tions in the primitive unitary type which must be accepted 

 as the common root from whence sprung all the Australian and 

 Tasmanian people." 



This view is, of course, in direct opposition to Ling Roth,'iO' 

 who supported the opinion that the cuily-iiaired Tjismanian was 

 the primitive inhabitant of Australia, and was subsequently dis- 

 placed by the much straighter-baired Australian Aboriginal. 



To those members of this Society v,ho heard Berry's'^) paper 

 of 1907, it is not without interest to note that Turner,^!' the 

 latest contributor to this subject, concludes his statement with 

 the following words : — 



'^ Tlie evidence seems to be in favour of the descent of the 

 Tasmanians from a primitive Negrito stock, which migrated 

 across Australia, rather than by the route of the Melanesian 

 Oceanic islands lying to the north and east of the Australian 

 continent." 



This preliminary communication, brief though it be, must 

 conclude with a lengthy expression of thanks. It need hardly 

 be said that such a large collection of undescribed material 

 could not possibly have been obtained without much kind assist- 

 ance. We desire, therefore, to express our most grateful thanks 

 to Dr. J. S. C. Elkington, the permanent head of the Tasmanian 

 Public Health Department, who prepared the way for us, and 

 who at all times rendered us the most courteous assistance : 

 ii the Trustees of the Hobart Museum for the use of their 

 invaluable material ; to Mr. Hall, the Curator of the Museum : 

 to the President and Council of the Royal Society of Tasmania 

 for the use of their rooms and library ; to the Trustees of the 

 Launceston Museum and its Curator, Mr. Scott ; to the Devon- 

 port Town Board and Mr. B. C. Green, the Secretary, 

 for so kindly forwarding their material for use m Launceston ; 

 to all the private owners of crania whose names have already 

 been mentioned ; to Drs. E. L. Crowther and A. H. Clarke for 

 much kind assistance ; and lastly to Messrs. W. L. Crowther and 

 W, J. Clark, who did all in their power to make our visit to 

 Tasmania a successful one. A word is also due to Mr. Arnold, 



