154 LIFE OF FLOWER 



third place, may be noticed his partiality for the study 

 of the inferior races of mankind, more especially those 

 belonging to the black, or Negro, branch of the species ; 

 dwarf races, like the Central African Akkas, and the 

 Andaman Islanders, or exterminated types, like the 

 Tasmanians, having apparently a very strong claim on 

 his interest. And here it may be mentioned that not 

 only is anthropology largely indebted to Flower for his 

 published works on this subject, but likewise for the 

 energy he displayed in collecting specimens of the 

 osteology of dwindling races, while there was yet time. 

 It was at his initiation that Sir Joseph Fayrer was 

 induced to use his influence with the Indian authorities 

 for the purpose of securing skulls and skeletons of 

 Andamanese for the Museum of the Royal College of 

 Surgeons. The result of this was the acquisition of 

 a fine series of specimens of the osteology of this fast- 

 disappearing race, at a time when it was still compara- 

 tively uncontaminated and undeteriorated by contact 

 with Europeans. That such contact must inevitably 

 lead, sooner or later, to the disappearance of the 

 inferior, or u non-adaptive " races of mankind, was a 

 favourite dictum of Sir William's ; and its truth has 

 been confirmed by the events of the last few years. 



If not actually the earliest, the first really important 

 contribution to anthropology on Flower's part was a 

 Friday Evening lecture " On the Native Races of the 

 Pacific Ocean," delivered at the Royal Institution on 

 3ist May 1878, and published in the Proceedings of that 

 body for the same year. In this lecture Sir William 

 described the native races of Oceania, or those inhabit- 

 ing the islands, inclusive of Australia, scattered through 



