Two Remarkable Skulls from the New Hebrides. — An 

 Anthropological and Ethnological Study. — By John 

 Cameron, M. D., D. Sc, F. R. S. E., Professor of 

 Anatomy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, N. S. 



Introduction. — The skulls that form the subject of this 

 memoir came from South Malekula in the New Hebrides, 

 a group of islands which is situated about nine hundred miles 

 in a north easterly direction from the coast of Queensland 

 and is definitelj^ placed by geographers and ethnologists 

 in Melanesia. The inhabitants'^' of this section of Oceania 

 are more darkly complexioned than the inhabitants of the 

 other section of Oceania termed Polynesia, but it is remarkable 

 how much the skin pigmentation of the Melanesians varies 

 in the different groups of islands. The reason for this is 

 not far to seek for it is due to the intrusion of a lighter com- 

 plexioned Polynesian strain which has become mingled in 

 varying proportions with the black aboriginal element*^\ 

 This black aboriginal substratum is, however, everywhere 

 dominant throughout the New Hebrides, and is characterised, 

 in addition to the skin coloration, by crisp, curly, black hair, 

 decided negroid features, an extreme dolichocephalic head 

 and short stature, averaging five feet, four and one-half 

 inches, which is decidedly lower than the Polynesian average 

 of five feet, ten inches. The Melanesians were formerly 

 €lassed by ethnologists as fierce, warlike savages, with a 

 strong proclivity towards head-hunting expeditions and 

 cannibalism. The language'^' spoken in Melanesia is a hetero- 

 geneous mixture, consisting mainl}'' of archaic forms of the 

 Malayo-Polynesian tongue, which was probably imposed 

 upon the inhabitants in bygone ages by their Polynesian 

 conquerors. 



Pao •. & TR\Md. N'. S. iNsr. Sci.. Vol. XIV. Trans. 26 



(403) 



