346 



A NATURALIST'S WA^^DERINGS 



Malay element in the population. The male skull, Xo. 4, and the female, 

 No. 6, are typically Malayan in their characters, esi>ecially in possessing 

 large open rounded orbits and smooth forehead, the superciliary ridges 

 and glabella being almost entirely absent, Tlie other brachycephalic 

 skulls, though not presenting such a striking affinity, agree more or less 

 -with the type, but give evidence of mixed characters. Ihe dolicho- 

 cephalic skull is, on the other liand, markedly of the Papuan type, and 

 coiresponds so closely as to be undistinguishable from t\\-o crania 

 obtained twenty miles inland from Port Moresby, New Guinea, in the 

 College of Surgeons' Museum, also from another from the Solomon 

 Islands, Along with this form of shell Mr. Forbes inlbims me is 

 associated frizzly hair and dark skin. 



Tlie examination of the cranial characters of the inhabitants of Timor- 

 laut as illustrated by the skulls before us shows that the peopling of this 

 island forms no exception to what is usually found in the various groups 

 of islands in the Polynesian Archipelago. From its close proximity to 

 New Guinea, perhaps more of the Papuan element mi^ht have been 

 expected. 



The relative proportions of the two races in any particular place seem 

 to vary considerably, however, and till more is known of thehistory of this 

 part of the world, the distribution of its inhabitants will not he understood. 

 Valuable contributions to our Icnowledge of this vexed question have been 

 made by the writings of M. Quatrefagts, Professors Flower and Keane. Mr. 

 Staniland Wake, and others!. Series of skulls and skeletons like the 

 present from different districts, with accounts of the inhabitants, are 

 always valuable additions, and assist materially to unravel the ethnology 

 of this interesting part of the globe. 



