1858.] On the Kirdnti tribe of the Central Himalaya. 455 



of wbich the upper lias a tendency to advance more than the 

 lower, owing to the normal thickening of the gum. Teeth fine and 

 vertical and not at all exposed. Chin devoid of the prominent 

 roundness of the part, flush with the jaw in front. Jaws heavy 

 and angular. Colour as in the last, pale ruddy brown, deeper and 

 less dull than the usual isabelline colour. Hair jet black, straight, 

 strong. No whisker. A scanty moustache. Eye-brows full. Chest 

 hairless. No more development of bone or muscle than in the last, 

 and figure, as before, good but noticeable for length of trunk and 

 arms. 



No. 3. A Thulung, 22 years old, has the breadth of head and 

 face of the last, vertical view of the head showing great and remark- 

 ably uniform width in proportion to length. Profile line vertical, as 

 before, and all the details of the features wonderfully similar, as in 

 a strong family likeness, and figure also and colour. 



General remark. All these three men have a depth of colour and 

 defect of bone and muscle assimilating them to the lowland Turanians 

 generally and differencing them from the highlanders generally 

 but especially from the Palusen, the Gurung, the Sunwar, the Murmi, 

 the Magar and the Lepcha ; and the Bontawa has a head and face 

 carrying on the resemblance with the lowland Turanians and which 

 I believe to be so frequent among the Kirantis as to deserve to be 

 called the rule, not the exception. In conclusion, I may perhaps 

 be permitted to say, as the result of long years of practised observa- 

 tion that the effect, upon the Turanian northmen, of passing from the 

 cold high and dry plateau of" Asie Ceutrale," down the various steps 

 of the Himalayan ladder into the hot and moist plains of India is to 

 diminish the volume of bony and muscular development, to diminish 

 also the extreme breadth of head and face with the consequent wide 

 separation of all the double organs of sense and to modify the 

 defects of the eye, giving it a freer and straighter aperture and less 

 flaccid upper lid ; moreover, that such tribes as, in the throng 

 of successive immigrations, have been broken, barbarized and driven 

 to seek refuge in malarious tracts, seem to manifest a tendency to 

 pass from the low Turanian to the low African or Negro type ;* 



* Narrowness of head and face, and projection of mouth are the great marks 

 of the Negro type. Now I have an Uraon in my service in whom these marts 



