in the Maldive Islands and Minikoi. 23 
Taste VII. 
Group Characters compared CC TAH mers : | Reference 
Maldives with Minikoi | Cephalic length and breadth | -484| +:0564 | Duckworth 
Modern English I ma ee Bs -402| £:019 | Lee 
na apes ll a HA as *345|) +:019 |Lee 
Maldives with Minikoi | Cephalic index and length | -- 520} £:053 |Duckworth 
Sardinian crania pe es Be —°543) £-075 |Duckworth 
English - eS iy $e — 547 ? MacDonnell 
Nagqada ¥ 35 ae ie —-d51; +-041 |Lee 
9. Thus far an endeavour has been made to deal with all 
Professor Gardiner’s data or at least to subdivide them into two 
groups only, viz. the Minikoi men and the Maldivians. This was 
necessitated by the small number of individuals observed. For in 
the wider comparisons it is absolutely imperative to deal with the 
largest possible number in each area. 
But Professor Gardiner bas grouped two series of his measure- 
ments, viz. the men of Male and of Addu Atoll, according to caste. 
A review of Table III will shew that even with the small 
numbers to which each subdivision finds itself reduced, the in- 
fluence of caste is quite distinct. Moreover it acts in the same 
direction both in Male and in Addu. For in each, the higher 
caste has the higher stature, and larger head-dimensions. Indeed 
the mean values of the circumference of the head may be regarded 
as an epitome of the rest of the measurements. It should be 
noted that fishermen are in the lowest caste and class. 
The indices do not yield the same contrast, though this might 
be expected in regard to the nasal index at least, which indicates 
that the higher caste possesses paradoxically the broader nose. 
Yet the small number of examples must be recalled again, and 
this influence is doubtless much more effective in obscuring differ- 
ences in indices than in the absolute dimensions. 
10. The possible affinities of these natives forms the next 
subject of enquiry. ‘The statistical data shew that they are not 
very homogeneous, although certain distinguishing characters do 
seem to occur within their own borders. 
One feature of Professor Gardiner’s lists impressed me at once. 
Although distinguished by caste, the natives of the Maldives and 
Minikoi have Moslem names. This very paradox serves, however, 
to indicate two out of the many possible sources of the popula- 
tion of these islands. In other words, Hindustan is suggested at 
once, and again the Moslem influence, though it may have travelled 
vid that peninsula, need not have done so. 
