HEIGHT. 105 



Fifty of these are gathered together between 5 feet 2 inches and .j 

 feet 6 inches. Arranging the whole series in order, I find that the 

 value of the central number (3Gth) is 5 feet 4 inches; of the quarter- 

 points, the value of the 18th is 5 feet 3 inches, and of the 54;th, 5 

 feet 5|- inches ; and the values of the 9th and G3rd in the scale are 5 

 feet 1^ inches, and 5 feet G inches respectively. There is a disturb- 

 ing element in this series, which is probably the result of combining 

 in the same series the natives of the Bougainville Straits islands and 

 those of St. Christoval, the latter being rather shorter, as noticed 

 below. We may, however, take the value of the median as repre- 

 senting: the averasre heig-ht of a native of the Solomon Islands, viz., 5 

 feet 4 inches, or 1'62.5 metres, which is somewhat below the medium 

 height of the human race, as stated by Topinard at 165 metres. It 

 is, however, in a marlced degree in excess of the heiglit which 

 Mayer gives for the Papuans, viz., 1-536 metres {vide Topinard's 

 Anthropology). 



Deviations of a constant character are found in different parts of 

 the group, and often in different districts of the same island. The 

 natives of the islands of Bougainville Straits, for instance, are 

 noticeally taller than those of St. Christoval at the opposite end of 

 the gro; p, the averages of about thirty measurements in each region, 

 differing L)y fi-om one half to three quarters of an inch. This differ- 

 ence of height in these two localities is accompanied by other impor- 

 tant changes in the physical characters which will be subsequently 

 referred to. 



The range of my measurements may be contrasted with those 

 obtained by Miklouho-Maclay on the coast of New Guinea (vide 

 " Nature," Dec. 7th, 1882). 



Papua-Koviay coast, 1'75 to 1-48 metres. 



Maclay coast, ... ... ... 1 "74 to 1-42 „ 



Solomon Islands, 174 to TSl „ 



CHEST-GIRTH. 



The range of the eighteen measurements given in the subjoined table is 

 31-1- to 37 iuclies : and since half of these are included between 34 and 35 

 inches, we may consider these as the limits of the average chest-girth of the 

 natives in tlie portions of the group in which the measurements were made, 

 viz., the islands of Bougainville Straits and St. Christoval, with its adjoin- 

 ing islands. 



