ORNAMENTS FOR THE EARS AND LIPS 119 



mainly a skin-covered piece of fat. The size of the ear 

 varies in different individuals, and the lobe presents 

 great variations in shape and degrees of development in 

 proportion to the helix. 



The various contrivances employed for adorning the 

 ears among mankind may l)e set down in two classes, 

 ear-studs and ear-rings. As a rule, ear-studs are in- 

 serted into the helix and ear-rings into the lobe. In 

 some instances the lobe is converted into a loop for the 

 retention of the ornament. In many civilised countries 

 ear-rings are worn in the 

 lol)e, and this style of 

 decoration is usually con- 

 fined to women. 



Among the Masai orna- 

 ments are worn in the ear 

 by men and women. When 

 the boys and girls have 

 passed through their 

 " initiation ceremonies," 

 the lobe of the ear is 

 pierced and a thin spigot 

 of wood inserted into the 

 hole. Gradually this hole 

 is enlarged by the intro- 

 duction of thicker pieces of 

 wood until it is large 

 enough to receive a stone 



with a groove running round it. These stones vary in 

 size, but the ultimate result is the transformation of the 

 lobe into a rounded cord-like loop, which in the black 

 ears of these men and women looks like a ring of india- 

 rubber. Annmg the Masai the full size is attained 

 when the cutaneous ring of one side will meet its fellow 

 over the crown. 



The largest stone ear-plug in existence was presented 

 to the British Museum by^Mr. A. C. Hollis : it weighs 

 two pounds and fourteen ounces. 



The external Ear, or Pimia. 



