or2 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 



Regarding the scapula aud the sternum I need say very little, except 

 that the latter bone sometimes exhibits in the Australian aboriginal a 

 condition not found in other races : I refer to the articulation of the 

 third rib, instead of the second, with the place of junction of the manu- 

 brium with the body of the sternum. 



i may refer shortly to the subject of pigmentation, to show how 

 points arise for investigation. Older writers make some reference to 

 it ; but modern works on anthropology appear to ignore the subject. 

 Professor Cunningham, writing to me regarding the tongue of an 

 aboriginal which Professor Watson had given me to send to him, said : 

 *' I notice in the tongue an interesting point, viz., that patches of the 

 mucous membrane are rather deeply pigmented in the lymphoid region. 

 Is this common among natives ? " 



While in the Northern Territory I examined a large number of 

 aboriginals, and found pigmentation very common and very extensively 

 distributed on and under the tongue, on the palate, and on the inside 

 of the cheek. On my return I examined some cases here along with 

 Dr. Rogers, and found similar conditions. Further, we noticed that 

 young aboriginals — of whom we examined several — showed no trace 

 of such pigmentation. If this deposit of pigment should be found to 

 be a late phenomenon in the individual it Avill prove to be an interesting 

 observation, and one probably to be correlated with the later develop- 

 ment of hair on the body, which is secondary to the intra-uterine and 

 the infantile hairy condition. It does not appear to be generally known 

 that the newly-born aboriginal is not black, but of a yellowish honey 

 color, with narrow dark lines on certain parts of the body. 



About 25 years ago, if my memory serves me aright, the question 

 of pigmentation of the skin was investigated in reference to the subject 

 of living in the tropics, and the investigations served to explode some 

 physical fallacies due to the wrong inferences regarding radiation and 

 absorption of heat. An interesting observation on this subject was 

 made by Dr. Semon, when hunting for the ceratodus and other rare 

 animals in the Queensland rivers. He says : " Another nuisance was 

 the burning sun upon my bare back, which soon scorched, by its rays 

 pouring straight down from the zenith. It was not easy to protect 

 myself against this, for whenever I put on a light jacket this soon got 

 wet by my going deeper into the water, and brought on a disagreeable 

 feeling of chill as soon as the slightest wind arose. I therefore gave up 

 protecting myself against the sun, and soon had the satisfaction of find- 

 ing that my back and breast got covered by a dark-brown skin, im- 

 pervious to its attack." 



Another observation, which he made at Amboyna, is worth noting. 

 He says : " When my fishermen were at sea they used to uncover the 

 upper part of their body, keeping on nothing but the wide sack-like 

 trousers, reaching below the knees, and worn by the Ambon men instead 

 of a sarong. As they used to undress completely for diving, I could 

 observe, while watching their movements below the water, how the 

 upper portion of their body, which was daily exposed to the glowing 



