APPENDIX A 305 



II. Description and Comparison of the Specimen. 

 By A. Smith Woodward. 



(a) Description. 



The problematical piece of skin discovered by Dr. Moreno measures 

 approximately 0.48 m. in the direction of the main lie of the hair, while 

 its maximum extent at right angles to this direction is about 0.55 m. 

 The fragment, however, is very irregular in shape ; and it has become 

 much distorted in the process of drying, so that the anterior portion, 

 which is directed upwards in the drawing, is bent outwards at a consider- 

 able angle to the main part of the specimen which will be claimed 

 to represent the back. The skin, as observed in transverse section, 

 presents a dried, felt-like aspect ; but there is a frequent ruddiness, sug- 

 gestive of blood-stains, while the m.argin exhibits distinct indications of 

 freshly dried once-fluid matter, which Dr. Vaughan Harley has kindly 

 examined and pronounced to be serum. Its outer face is completely 

 covered with hair, except in the region marked C and above B, where this 

 covering seems to have been comparatively fine and may have been 

 accidentally removed. The inner face of the skin is only intact in a few 

 places, the specimen having contracted and perhaps been somewhat 

 abraded, so that a remarkable armour of small bony tubercles, irregularly 

 arranged and of variable size, is exposed over the greater part of it. At 

 one point there is an irregular rounded hole about 0.02 m. in diameter, 

 which might possibly have been caused by a bullet or a dagger, but in 

 any case was probably pierced when the skin was still fresh. Owing to 

 its direction, this hole is partly obscured by the overhanging hair. 



The skin in its dried state varies in thickness in different parts. The 

 average thickness of the flattened portion, which must be referred to the 

 back, is shown by the cleanly-cut right margin of the specimen to be 

 0.0 1 m. This is slightly increased towards the posterior (lower) end of 

 the border, while above it the thickness becomes 0.015 m. The latter 

 thickness also seems to be attained in the much-shrivelled corner 

 marked C — a circumstance suggesting bilateral symmetry between at least 

 part of the two anterior outer angles of the specimen. The thinnest por- 

 tion preserved is the border above B ; and the skin must also have been 

 comparatively thin in the region of the accidental notch to the left, 

 considerably below C. 



The portion of skin above B is interesting not only from its relative 

 thinness, but also from the occurrence of an apparently natural rounded 

 concavity in the margin. This excavation, which measures 0.05 m. along 

 the curve, is marked by the remains of a thin flexible flap, which is 



