290 ETHNOLOGICAL HINTS 



that the greatest of English explorers, Captain Cook, must have 

 made very large collections, as specimens obtained by him are to 

 be found in many museums and private collections both in England 

 and abroad. Unfortunately, the value of his specimens is much 

 diminished by the absence of any proper account of the places from 

 which they were derived ; and it is somewhat curious that although 

 the British Museum is supposed to have the principal part of his 

 collections, many of the finest specimens are not to be found there, 

 but in other collections. 



An instance connected with Arctic exploration may be noticed. 

 In the well-known expedition in the Blossom, under Capt. Beechey, 

 1825-28, a number of specimens was obtained. Some of the speci- 

 mens were given by Capt. Beechey to the Ashmolean Museum ; 

 others were presented by the officers to Mr. Barrow, and are now in 

 the British Museum. Sir Edward Belcher gave some of his speci- 

 mens to the United Service Institution, which on the sale of a part 

 of that museum were dispersed ; unfortunately they were not pro- 

 perly labelled, and their value is much impaired. The bulk of Sir 

 Edward Belcher's collection has since been sold, and though by a 

 fortunate accident some of the most interesting specimens have 

 been secured for the Christy Collection, the value of the series as 

 a whole is taken away. Others seem to have been given by Sur- 

 geon Collie to the Haslar Hospital, and on the breaking up of a 

 portion of that museum were sent to the British Museum ; scarcely 

 any of them were labelled, and it is only by accident that the pro- 

 bable origin of them has been traced. If a careful selection had 

 been made at the time for' the national collection, the manners, 

 customs, and arts of the Western Eskimos would have received a 

 full illustration. 



6. — Questions relating to the Physical Characteristics of the 

 Eskimos, &c. By John Beddoe, m.d. 



A. The following measurements should be obtained from as many 

 adults of the two sexes as possible. 



1. Stature: the best gotten by means of a graduated rod, in 

 erect posture. Mention whether shoes are worn, and of what 

 thickness. 



2. Greatest length of head, from the eminence between the 

 eye-brows ; with index or other callipers. 



3. Greatest breadth of head, wherever found, with callipers. 



4. Greatest breadth of zygomata, also with callipers. 



5. Span — i. e., distance between tips of middle fingers, arms 

 being expanded. 



