410 Canadian Record of Science. 



to understand why that part of the scalp, with its hair bulbs 

 supplied by them should, either from pressure or from les- 

 sening of calibre in response to nervous influence, be the 

 area most to suffer. Hence the explanation of the fact that 

 baldness of the vertex is the most marked. This must be 

 so, however we account for the mal-nutrition, from the 

 anatomical relations of the various blood-vessels. 



The anthropological bearings of the hair are not without 

 interest and importance. We find all varieties of hair, all 

 degrees of hairiness, and great dissimilarity as to distribution 

 over the body in different races of men. 



The North American Indians have an abundance of hair 

 on the head, with but little on the face or the rest of the 

 body, while the hairiness of the Ainos has been remarked 

 upon by many observers. Mr. Dickins writing in Nature 

 for April 7th of the current year, states that the hair is most 

 abundant in this latter race just where it would be most 

 useful, as over the sternal, inter-scapular and gluteal regions, 

 where, it may be remarked, the related epidermis itself is 

 also thick. Professor Penhallow, 1 who has published several 

 papers in this journal on the Ainos, states, in answer to 

 specific enquiry, that the variety found among the Ainos 

 in respect to relative hairiness, is probably explicable by 

 associated climatic differences. If any large civilized com- 

 munity of the present day be examined, the race differ- 

 ences of men will all be found illustrated in this respect. 

 Thus it is to be noticed that individuals and whole families 

 have, like the Indian, abundance of hair on the head with 

 but little elsewhere, while others are generally hairy like 

 the Ainos. As one might expect from their both being 

 dermal structures, an early development of hair &c, from 

 sexual maturity is associated, I am told by a member of the 

 dental profession of this city, with a correspondingly pre- 

 mature appearance of the wisdom teeth. Perhaps, however, 

 such instances ought to be regarded as illustrations of gen- 

 eral acceleration of maturity of the whole organization. It 

 still remains to explain the early baldness of men and the 

 exemption of women. Even if we accede to all that the 



1 Can. Rec. of Sc. II, 119. 



