274 THE NATURAL HISTORY RETIEW. 



somewhat paler than that of4;he Japanese, but it is bronzed by con- 

 stant exposure. The women, as if in default of the extraordinary 

 endowments of their spouses, have a custom of staining their faces 

 with dark blue for a considerable space around their mouths. The 

 children are lively and intelligent when little, but soon acquire the 

 downcast aspect of their elders. Yet these strange people have a 

 history ; and though its details are lost, they cherish the remem- 

 brance that their forefathers were once the equals, if not the mas- 

 ters, of the Japanese. This is supposed to have been in the sixth 

 century before Christ at least. 



January \^th, 1865. 



The following papers were read. 1. " Contributions to the His- 

 tory of the Iranians by M. Khanikof." The author's conclusions 

 were that the origin of this branch of the Aryan family must be 

 sought for in the east of the lands occupied by them ; that a differ- 

 ence exists now, as at very remote epochs, in the shape of the head 

 in eastern and western Persians ; and that the original Iranian type 

 is best preserved by the Tadjiks. On the derivation of the term 

 Tadjik, the author offered a very ingenious hypothesis, namely, 

 that it means " bearers of tiaras or tadjs," and was used in the 

 remotest periods to designate the Iranians who were fire worship- 

 pers, — the tadj being a sign of recognition, amongst the followers of 

 Zoroaster, as the turban is amongst Mussulmans. Assuming the 

 Tadjiks to be the aborigines of East Iran, it is natural to search 

 among them for the primitive type of the Iranian family. M. Kha- 

 nikof does this with much minuteness, the main features being — high 

 stature, black eyes and hair, which is very abundant ; head long and 

 oyal like those of the western Persians, but with frontal bone 

 broader between the semicircular Hues ; the nose, mouth, and eyes 

 very handsome, the first generally straight, rarely bent ; the mouth 

 and ears large, as also their feet. They are strong and can work long 

 without weariness, but are not such good walkers as the Persians. 



2. " On the Artificial Eyes of certain Peruvian Mummies," by 

 Sir Woodbine Parish. Associated with the interments of ancient 

 Peruvians there have been found certain hemispherical amber 

 coloured objects, which the late Mr. Clifts, of the College of Sur- 

 geons determined from some specimens shown him by Dr. Wollas- 

 ton to be desiccated eyes of cuttlefishes,— an opinion now confirmed 

 by Professor Owen and Mr. Bow^man. Lieut. Rising, R.N. who for- 



