()lO 



NA rURE 



OCTOISER 2 2, 1896 



ihrec ellinic dislricts : in the iiorlli-vvesl ihu slaliire is highest, 

 l)ut ilarli hair and eyes arc least prevalent ; dark hair, coupled 

 with grey eyes, is most abundant in the somewhat infertile 

 ])arishes of Maughold and Lonan ; while dark eyes are compara- 

 tively frequent in the central parishes where the Scandio-Gaelic 

 stock is probably less pure. The chief paper of the day was an 

 elaborate study of the Trinil femur, by Dr. D. Hepburn. The 

 femora of various savage and civilised races were compared with 

 that of Pithecanthropus ctrcius. The author dealt especially 

 with the ])oplitcal space, and followed the methods adopted by 

 Manouvrier ; in fact, this paper was largely an extension of the 

 French investigator's careful study. He noted the absence of sym- 

 metry between two femora of the same individual, and exhibited 

 an Australian femur with the same popliteal measurements and 

 index as those of the Trinil femur. The condyles of the Trinil 

 femur are human, and not simian. The author stating that the 

 distinguishing features of the Trinil femur are found singly and 

 in conjunction on human femora, with sufficient frequency to 

 enable them to rank as human characters ; and thus its features 

 do not entitle it to the distinction of a separate genus, but it is a 

 true human femur, although of very ancient date. This paper 

 led to a good discussion, in which several speakers took part 

 Prof. Boyd Dawkins did not regard the Trinil find to be of 

 Pliocene Age. Dr. Garson believed that these specimens be- 

 longed to a new genus and species of the Hominida:. Sir John 

 Evans reserved his judgment ; this he summed up in his felicitous 

 manner in the following rhyme, which was not, however, uttered 

 in public : — 



About three things pray let us have the truth — 

 The skull, the thigh bone, .ind the Trinil tooth. 

 The thigh is hum.in, does the skull belong? 

 Is the tooth human, or is Dubois wrong? 

 But, after all, where were the relics found — 

 n modern ground ? 



Dr. Garson exhibited a lantern slide of an outline figure which 

 embodied the mean proportions of the head, body, and limbs of 

 the members of the IJritish Association who have been measured 

 at the various meetings. In the afternoon Mr. F. T. P^lworthy 

 gave a fully illustrated lantern demonstration of the survivals in 

 modern South Italian charms from very ancient Pagan times. 



On Saturday morning Mr. Brabrook presented the Report of 

 the Ethnographical .Survey of Great Britain and Ireland, which 

 showed that the survey is steadily progressing. There were 

 several appendices to this report, the two most important being 

 Dr. W. Gregor's, on Galloway folk-lore, and one by Mr. Gomme, 

 on the method of determining the value of folk-lore as ethno- 

 logical data. This was a solid and novel contribution to the 

 right apprehension of folk-lore, which deserves to be widely 

 read ; it consisted mainly of an analysis of lire rites and cere- 

 monies in the British Islands. Among these numerous customs 

 nine are reckoned as constituent elements, two are suggestive of 

 the original culture stage (the use of stone implements), while 

 eight are divergent elements. If lines are drawn on a map 

 connecting the localities where more or fewer of these customs 

 occur, an "ethnological test-figure" is arrived at for each 

 country. These fire customs are held to be of Aryan origin. 

 Mr. Gomme has previously stated reasons for considering water- 

 worship customs to be non-Aryan in origin ; to belong, there- 

 fore, to the pre-Celtic people of these islands, and the " ethno- 

 logical test-figure " produced by inapping the occurrence of water 

 customs, differs radically from that connected with fire customs. 

 Mr. C. H. Read urged the formation of an Ethnological 

 Bureau for this country, analogous but not siinilar to the famous 

 Bureau of Ethnology in the United States. He recognised that 

 a certain amount of partial or isolated work was being done in 

 India and elsewhere, but what was wanted was a uniform system 

 of inquiry extending all over our possessions, and the collection 

 and collation of the results in a central office. He recommended 

 (i) that the reports .should be systematised and on a uniform 

 method, (2) that such work should be held to be part of the 

 duties of the local Government officer, and consequently (3) the 

 officer should obtain credit for .such work when well done. In 

 conclusion, he repeated, "a nation having under its Government 

 *)r protection so many primitive or uncivilised races, as are now 

 within the confines of the British Empire or upon its borders, is 

 bound both by interest and ])olicy to study and to put on record 

 all facts connected with their history, beliefs, and manners and 

 customs, the knowledge of such facts being, in the first place, 

 essential to the maintenance of peaceful and friendly relations, 

 and, in the second, of the highest interest to .science." The 

 proposition was warmly supported by Profs. Macalister, Boyd 



Dawkins, Iladdon, and Sir John Evans. In his paper on 

 " .\nthropological o|iportunities in British New Guinea," Mr. 

 S. II. Ray re-afhrmed the danger of delay in investigating the 

 anthropology of British New Guinea, and called attention to the 

 opportunities which exist for successfully carrying it out. If 

 anything is to be done, it should be done soon. Stress is laid 

 upon languages as folk-lore ; religious beliefs and practices and 

 legal customs can only be thoroughly studied through the mediun> 

 of the languages. We want to know the native's reason for his 

 thought and practice, as the European often draws most erroneou* 

 conclusions from his own observations. The country is now quiet 

 and safe, and facilities would doubtless be offered by the present 

 enlightened administrator, .Sir Wm. MacGregor. Prof. Haddon 

 followed with an earnest appeal for the immediate investigation 

 of the anthropology of all islands and other districts where the 

 indigenous population is being exterminated or largely modified 

 by the advent of the white man. 



Monday morning was devoted to a discussion of the origin of 

 the knowledge of copper and iron in Europe. This was led off by 

 Mr. J. L. Myres, who indicated the part played by Cyprus and 

 its relation to the trade routes of South-east Europe. Dr. J. H. 

 Gladstone gave a series of analyses of prehistoric meta) 

 impleinents, which deinonstrated a transition for the use of pure 

 copper to the widely-spread bronze ; various methods for harden- 

 ing the copper were employed, such as the sub-oxides of copper 

 and various natural alloys of copper with antimony and arsenic, 

 but when the tin bronze was discovered it quickly superseded all 

 the others. An interesting discussion followed, in which Dr. 

 Munro maintained that there was no proof of a Copper Age in 

 Europe, the copper implements being " starved " bronze, and 

 only manufactured when the supply of tin ran .short ; but this 

 view did not gain general support. Prof. Ridgeway read a paper 

 on the starting-point of the Iron Age in Europe, in which he 

 pointed out that Hallstatt, in Austria, is the only place ir> 

 Europe where articles of iron are found gradually replacing 

 those of the same kind made in bronze, and that within a very 

 short distance of the Hallstatt cemetery lies one of the most 

 famous iron mines of antiquity, Noreia. Me suggested that the 

 accidental finding of an outcrop of volcanic iron, such as that 

 known in at least one place in Greenland, led to iron smelting : 

 there is no need to suppo.se that meteoric stones first supplied 

 man with that metal. This theory was adversely criticised by 

 several speakers. Mr. Myres gave an abstract of Sergi's theory 

 of a Mediterranean Race (this subject has already been referreil 

 to inourcoluinns). It was a disappointment to many that Prof. 

 Sergi was unable to fulfil his promise to be jiresent and explain 

 his views. Dr. Munro and Prof. Boyd Dawkins detailed at 

 length the results of the recent excavations of the Lake Village 

 of Glastonbury. A model of accurate archxological research 

 w.as afforded by Dr. Stolpe, of Stockholm, in his account of the 

 Vendel finds in Sweden. These boat graves ranged from a period 

 of about 600 to 1000 A.D., and various modifications were noted 

 during that period ; numerous beautiful drawings and lantern 

 slides of the bronze objects found were exhibited. Mr. R. A. S. 

 Macalister gave an interesting account of a recent exploration he 

 had made of a prehistoric settlement in Co. Kerry, which was 

 illustrated by nuinerous lantern slides. 



A great discussion on the early civilisation of the Mediter- 

 ranean was opened on Tuesday morning, in a fine fighting 

 speech by Prof. Ridgeway, entitled " Who produced the object 

 called Mykenxan"? The genial Irishman made a brilliant on- 

 slaught on many generally recognised views. The credit of 

 this civilisation belonged either to the .Vhjeans or to the 

 Pelasgians. The traditions of the Greeks themselves point to 

 the latter. The age of Mykence is that of Bronze, that of 

 Homer's Achieans is distinctly of Iron. Engraved gems are 

 characteristic of Mykena;, but these were unknov.'n to Homer ; 

 but the converse is the case with fibuhe. The Mykenxans had 

 a peculiar figure of 8 shield, no breastplate, no inetal greaves, 

 and they wore their hair in three locks behind ; whilst the 

 Achaeans had round shields, bronze breastplates and greaves, 

 and wore their hair flowing. There is no need to cut Homer 

 to pieces to fit the MykeniX'an .\ge ; this culture is that of the 

 Bronze Period and Pelasgian in origin, and was supplanted by 

 the Iron Age, which was introduced by the Acha;ans into 

 Greece. Prof. Petrie supported Prof Ridgeway by adducing 

 the argument of a continuity of artistic pre-eminence from 

 Mykenivan times to the art of Pheidias in Attica, which was a 

 Pelasgian settleinent. Dr. Beddoe pointed out that the skull- 

 form of Pericles and other noted (Ireeks was Pelasgian in 



NO. 1408, VOL. 54] 



