ABBOTT COLLECTION FROM ANDAMAN ISLANDS. 479 



but this difference may be attributed to their contact from time to 

 time with their neighbors, the Nicobarese, from whom they doubtless 

 learned to build houses. 



The Andamanese can not well endure fasting or thirst. They 

 appear to be very sensitive to cold as well as to the direct action of 

 the sun's rays, from which they shield themselves with the greatest 

 care, often using a palm-leaf screen (fig. 20, PI. II) for this purpose, 

 as well as covering their body with a coating of clay. 



The voice of the men is described as being of medium loudness, 

 growing deeper and fuller in tone with age. After having passed 

 their prime, which is apparently about 35 years, it becomes rough, 

 husky, and tuneless. The boys and women have clear, pleasant voices, 

 but in singing, the voices of the women are of bad intonation. Fal- 

 setto singing is common in both sexes, though nasal intonation is not 

 so marked as in many Oriental races. The prevailing male voice is 

 barytone, the compass usually about an octave. All of the notes of 

 the women are head tones. 



FOOD. 



Although the Andamanese do not practice agriculture nor rear ani- 

 mals, yet they do not lack a bountiful supply of food, which is yielded 

 to them by the forest, the shore, and the sea. This they obtain with 

 very little exertion, and. according to Mr. Man, their eagerness in the 

 chase is induced almost as much by actual love of sport as by the 

 necessity of obtaining food. Were this not the case they would 

 hardly be found spending so much time in dancing and singing, in 

 personal decoration, and in the preparation of their meals, wdiile they 

 reject with aversion anything that has become at all tainted. Further, 

 it may be fairly estimated that one-third of the food daily consumed 

 by them consists of edible roots, fruits, and honey. The remaining 

 portion of the food is the flesh of one or more of the following, 

 namely: Pig, paradoxurus, iguana, turtle, fish, and mollusks. with rare 

 additions of pigeons and jungle fowl. 



Their mode of eating meat is to cram a large piece into the mouth, 

 and then to cut off whatever is in excess with a bamboo or cane (now- 

 adays generally a steel) knife (PI. II, figs. 6, 7, and 11). Water is 

 their only beverage. If very thirsty while on a fishing expedition, and 

 all the fresh water-supply is exhausted, the Aryotoda pour water over 

 their heads or jump overboard, and even at times try to alleviate their 

 sufferings by swallowing salt water. 



The fruits of mangroves are eaten occasionally. They are first 

 cooked as found, then peeled and soaked in water for a couple of days 

 to remove the bitterness, after which they are either baked or boiled. 



Some fruits are merely sucked for their flavor, others have fine wood 

 ashes added to them, the alkali of which reduces their acidity, while a 



