298 



NATURE 



[July 30, 1903 



of Dr. Tolmatschow,^ the ice surrounding the carcase 

 was not that of a lake or river, but evidently formed 

 from snow. It is thus quite likely that the mammoth 

 was quietly browsing on grassland which formed the 

 thin covering of a glacier, and fell into a crevasse 

 which was obscured by the loose earth. On this 

 subject, however, much more information may shortly 

 be expected, when Mr. Ssewastianow publishes an 

 account of the geological researches which he made 

 in the neighbourhood of the Beresowka last summer. 



The director of the Zoological Museum of St. Peters- 

 burg, Dr. W. Salensky, has not only arranged an 

 admirable and unique exhibition of the newly-acquired 

 mammoth, but has also devoted much time to a 

 scientific investigation of the specimen. The results 

 of his researches will be published by the Imperial 

 Academy of Sciences in a series of memoirs, of which 

 the first, dealing with the skeleton, has just appeared. 

 In this work, he not only describes the parts of the 

 new animal, but also refers to the rich collection of 

 remains of the Siberian mammoth already in the 

 museum under his direc- 

 tion. The first instalment, 



illustrated with twenty-five 

 fine plates of bones and 

 teeth, is unfortunately 

 written only in. the Russian 

 language. We venture to 

 express the hope that, when 

 his work is completed. Dr. 

 Salensky will make it 

 more generally accessible 

 by appending a copious 

 abstract in one of the 

 languages with which 

 most naturalists are 

 familiar. A. S. VV. 



studies of the external physical characteristics of these 

 tribes, together with some valuable osteological obser- 

 vations. So far the authors have presented us with a 

 considerable body of data which are at once available 

 to students for comparative purposes, but they reserve 

 comparisons and discussions until the final part. We 

 look forward with great interest to the fulfilment of 

 this promise, as there are several important ethnological 

 problems connected with the region visited that 

 students at home have no means of solving. When 

 the full results of this expedition are before us, as well 

 as those of the Skeat expedition (which we hope will 

 not long be delayed), we shall be in a better position to 

 reconstruct the anthropological history of a very im- 

 portant district, a knowledge of which is necessary 

 before the ethnological problems of the Indonesian 

 Archipelago can be unravelled. 



A general sketch of the main results, from a racial 

 point of view, will be found in the authors' paper in 

 the current number of the Journal of the Anthropological 

 Institute, but for the facts on which they are based the 



Fk;. 



-Se:. 



THE ETHNOLOGY 



OF THE MALAY 



PENINSULA.^ 



THE scientific results 

 of the Skeat expedi- 

 tion of 1899 to Siam and the 

 Malay Peninsula have not 

 yet. been published, but a 

 secondary result of that 

 expedition was the return 

 of Mr. Nelson Annandale 

 to the same district in 

 1901. Sir William Turner 

 suggested to Mr. Annan- 

 dale that he should obtain measurements of the 

 people, of the Siamese Malay States, and the 

 Edinburgh University gave him a grant for that pur-, 

 pose from the Moray Fund. Mr. H. C. Robinson 

 joined Mr. Annandale, and together they made a most 

 successful expedition, the results of which are now be- 

 ginning to appear with praiseworthy promptitude, a 

 result that is rendered possible through private muni- 

 ficence in Liverpool. The association of this expedition 

 with the University of Liverpool augurs well for the 

 spirit of that young institution, and we hope tnat 

 it may continue to foster field work in ethnology. 



The present fasciculus contains a general account of 

 the appearance and mode of life of the Semang and 

 Sakai tribes of the Malay Peninsula, of the coast people 

 of Trang, and of the Malays of Perak, and detailed 



1 " Bodeneis vom Fluss Beresowka (Nord-ost Sibiriens)," {Verhandl. k. 

 ntss. min. Ges., vol. xl. pp. 415-452, pis. v-viii, 1903.) 



2 " Fasciculi Malayenses: Anthropology." Parti. (London: Longmans, 

 Green and. Co., 1903.) Price 15.1. net. 



NO. 1 76 I, VOL. 68] 



student must have recourse to the " Fasciculi Malay- 

 enses." Only, part i. of this series has yet been pub-" 

 lished, and as no forecast is given of what is to be 

 expected, one cannot say very much about the accounts 

 of the social life of the jungle tribes, as subsequent parts 

 may render the criticism void. It is safe to say that 

 the physical anthropology is well done, and will prove 

 of permanent value, to which the excellent illustrations 

 of natives materially assist. The characteristic 

 decoration, clothing, implements, habitations, and 

 other details of the several tribes, which an intelligent 

 traveller can readily observe, are carefully no'ted, and 

 some curious engraved designs and patterns on dart 

 cases, combs, and other objects are figured and parti- 

 ally described. There is an interesting chapter by Mr. 

 Annandale on the beliefs and customs of the Patani 

 fishermen. These Malays have various animal cults, 

 but they certainly do not present any features of true 

 clan totemism. This is followed by the first part of an 

 essay on religion and magic among the Malays of the 



