82 REPORT — 1844. 



make inquiries by correspondence with his friends in the Canary Islands, and by more 

 accurate investigation of the remains preserved in European collections. 



The measurements of eight or nine individuals, males and females, of whom the 

 skeletons are wholly or in part preserved, range from 4 feet 6^ inches to 4 feet lOJ 

 inches for the whole height, which exhibits a diminutive stature even for the tallest. 

 Dr. Hodgkin does not presume to infer from the facts which he has adduced that the 

 statements of the authors alluded to are erroneous, but he conjectures that the Ca- 

 nary Islands, like many other parts of the globe, may at different periods have been 

 inhabited by people of different races, even before the arrival of the Spaniards. The 

 people found by the first Europeans appear to have been of the same family with the 

 Birbirs of Africa, as indicated by language, physical character, &c. They possessed 

 however some characters which distinguished them from the Birbirs, such as the 

 making of mummies and some other customs. The author of the paper suggested 

 the careful investigation of all accessible relics of the ancient inhabitants, the com- 

 parison of the Guanche and Birbir languages, in order to detect in the former words 

 distinct from the latter, and a minute reference to original writers, as affording the 

 possible clews by which this ethnological difficulty may be overcome. 



On the Stature and relative Proportions of Man at different Epochs and in 

 different Countries. By W. B. Brent. 



This paper embodied in numerous and elaborate tables the results of the measure- 

 ment of some thousands of individuals, obtained from a great variety of sources, though 

 chiefly by the personal labour and expense of the author. It is rather surprising that 

 human anatomists should hitherto have furnished so few data or conclusions on this 

 subject, and left a void which this paper has contributed much to fill. The author 

 suggests that valuable statistical returns might readily be obtained in connection with 

 the census and on other public occasions. 



The author rejects the idea that tall men are deficient in mind, as hinted by Lord 

 Bacon, and adduces historical instances of the contrary, and notices the fact that the 

 average of stature of the inmates of hospitals, workhouses and prisons is below the 

 ordinaiy average. 



The average height of Englishmen is placed at 5 feet 7\ inches : the army returns, 

 which are likely to give a good idea of the peasantry, range from 5 feet 6 inches to 



5 feet 7 inches : the yeomanry, including a higher class, range from 5 feet 1 inch to 



6 feet 3 inches. The French conscripts, officially stated, give an average of 5 feet 4|: 

 inches, but Mr. Brent, from his own obser\'ation, would place the French average 

 considerably higher. The observations made by Prof. Forbes amongst the pupils of 

 his own class in Edinburgh, placed the Irish as the tallest, the Scotch next, and then 

 the English. The Belgians appear to be of still lower stature. 



A fact was noticed in the paper as having been recently brought to light by the 

 researches made by Dr. Hutchinson, in which Mr. Brent had taken a part. It was 

 discovered that the amount of air which can be expelled from a healthy chest, after 

 full inspiration, bore a certain ratio to the height of the individual, a certain number 

 of cubic inches of air corresponding to every additional inch of stature. It will be 

 obvious that the application of this principle must be of very great importance in the 

 granting of policies of assurance on life, and in the selection of men for various kinds 

 of public service. 



A curious and interesting portion of the paper related to the relative proportions 

 of the most remarkable antique statues ; these the author has reduced to a common 

 measure, and not content with various measurements, he has ascertained what would 

 be their absolute weight, as men, at different statures. These results he has com- 

 pared v^ith the actual measurements and weights of a large number of the most re- 

 markable athletse of the present age, boxers, wrestlers, &c., as well as with those of 

 picked men in the army and aristocracy. 



On tJie Natives of the Hawaiian Islands. By the Rev. W. Richards. 



They have no clear tradition of their origin, but they sometimes speak of their an- 

 cestors having come from Tahiti. The similarity of the Hawaiian language with that 



