TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION U. 781 



the collie, he answered the deep notes by a whispered growl, backing as he did so 

 into a corner, where he remained, in the most abject terror, not venturing to stir 

 till Misa Weld was out of sight. 



1 1 . On Mythical Pygmy Races. 

 By Professor Bertram Windle, B.Sc, 21. D. 



In this communication it was shown that the idea of mythical pygmy peoples, 

 fairies, or elves, was diiiused throughout the world ; that whilst general leatures 

 of resemblance were present, there were many points of distinctioo, and notably 

 with regard to the nature of their supposed dwelling-places, an account of which 

 was given. 



An attempt was made to show that no single explanation is adequate to 

 account for these legendary races, but that a number of elements enter into the 

 composition of the myth. 



MOXBAY, AUGUST 13. 

 The following Reports and Papers were read : — 



1. Pygmies in Europe. By Professor J. Kollmann, M.D. 



Near Schaffhausen, in Switzerland, a prehistoric settlement was described by the 

 author which had been used successively in Palaeolithic, Neolithic, and Metallic 

 times. Each period was distinctly separated from the other by a ditferently 

 coloured stratum. The Palaeolithic stratum contained a large number of the broken 

 bones of reindeer, also those of horse, ice-fox, bear, and other animals in less 

 number. No human bones were found in it, only worked flakes. It was covered 

 over by a layer of breccia, 80 cm. thick, which contained no traces of man. 



Over this came the NeoUthic stratum, of an average thickness of 40 cm., which 

 contained potsherds and large quantities of ashes, giving it a grey tinge. Tbe animal 

 remains found in it were those of stag, roe, black bear, ox, &c. ; the reindeer had 

 entirely disappeared. The uppermost stratum is a layer of humus 40 to 50 cm. 

 thick. During its formation man liad ceased to settle there for any length of time 

 under the shelter of the overhanging rocks. A few implements were found in it, 

 but they were of an inferior kind, so that this layer of the so-called Metallic period 

 calls for no further comment. Not so with the Neolithic stratum, in which were 

 more than twenty human interments, both of adults and children. Eleven of the 

 latter varied in age from the new-born child up to that of seven years, and some of 

 them were buried with particular care. The adult interments consisted of the 

 skeletal remains of (a) full-grown European types, and {b) small-sized people, which 

 must be considered as pygmies of the Neolithic period of Europe. These two 

 races were found interred side by side under precisely similar conditions ; from which 

 it may be concluded that they lived peacefully together, notwithstanding their great 

 racial difference. The remains of four of these pygmies, and probably of a fifth, were 

 found. Their stature, estimated according to Manouvrier's method, from the femur, 

 is as follows: — No. 2, 1,416 mm.; No. 12, 1,355 mm., and No. 14, 1,500 mm., 

 giving an average of 1,424 mm. This may be compared with the average stature 

 of the Veddas of Ceylon, which is 1,576 mm., according to Sarasin, and with the 

 skeleton of an Andaman Islander measured by the author, in which the femur 

 measured 424 mm., the stature of the skeleton being 1,500 mm., while the femora 

 of the Swiss Neolithic pygmies are : No. 2, 369 mm. ; No. 12, 355 mm., and No. 14, 

 393 mm. 



There were seven interments of the taller race, of which the femur of No. 5 

 measured 454 mm., giving a stature of 1,662 mm., which Rollet found to be the 

 average height of adult Frenchmen. The remains of the other individuals of this 

 race could not be satisfactorily measured. 



