ANTHROPOLOGY. 339 



The t e e t h of the Papuan owing to the use of bétel are generally stained black, in K. W. 

 Land also blackened purposely (HAGEN [1899, 167], BlRO [1901, 37]), but otherwise they 

 are praised for their whiteness (1. c, 272) and, as with the Melanesians (STEPHAN [1906, 15]), 

 for their regularity and strength (Van DER Goes [1858, 113, 170], PRATT [1906, 49]). Judged 

 evidently from their black colour vvithout further examination, the teeth of the H. B. people 

 were called bad (CHALLENGER [1876, 323]), however, as might be expected with a primitive 

 race (see also Schellong [1S91] and Wilberforce Smith [1S95, 110]), a careful exami- 

 nation with the mouth mirror, with people up to the âge of 45, proved to me that caries 

 is totally absent, as noticed in Papuan skulls by Comrie [1877, 103] and DORSEY 

 [1S97, 2; 1897a, 38]. In cases (Annual REPORT [1903 — 04, 41]) when dental troubles were 

 reported, thèse might hâve been caused by tartar, consécutive gingivitis, receding gums, and 

 by strong abrasion. This strong abrasion was already reported by Maclay [1873a, 242] and 

 by this author attributed to the predominating vegetable food, as he also noticed on himself. 

 I would put down the chewing of bétel, siri and lime (the latter being a gritty substance) 

 to be the cause of the abrasion, at the âge of 20 the abrasion being already perceptible, 

 whilst at 30 the cusps are generally, at least with M 1 , worn down. The said gingivitis, ascribed 

 by HAGEX [1899, 204] to the use of raw fruit, I found very fréquent amongst the men, and 

 when taking impressions not seldom caused some hemorrhage; with N°. 36 it was purulent. 

 By middie âge the gums hâve already considerably receded, which accélérâtes the dropping 

 out of the teeth. MACLAY [1873a, 242] pointing to the "bad teeth" of the older people pro- 

 bably means the "loss of teeth", first of the front teeth (SELIGMANN [1906, 227] ), owing to which, 

 as BlRO [1901, 96] reports, in K. W. Land even toothless old people are met with. In one 

 single instance, N°. 21, a man of about 44 years, I found that M 3 was lost; in his clamorous 

 surprise that I had noticed the absence of that molar, the man forgot to give the information 

 requested. The forcible removal of teeth, e.g. of I' I 1 of which HADDON [1901, 191] makes 

 mention, or the filing of the teeth to a sharp point (MODERA [1830, 74], Earl [1853, 5J, 

 Mûller [1857, 66], D'Albertis [1880, 1, 213], Virchovv [1889, 128], De Clercq and Schmeltz 

 [1893, 73]), I hâve never noticed in a single instance. 



The permanent teeth generally appear early. With Kiram (N°. 41, PI. XL VI), an Asé boy 

 of about 12 years, ail four M 2 were fully irrupted. In the case of Ugai Ç (N°. 43, PI. XLVII) 

 aged 18, ail third molars were wanting, however, with N°. 23, also about 18 years old, three 

 third molars were irrupted and the fourth was irrupting, whilst N°. 46 (PI. L, figs. 1 and 2), 

 of the same âge, only wanted M 3 |M 3 . With N°. 32 (25 years) one might speak of retarded 

 third molars, as he only possessed M 3 , as also with N°. 37 (29 years) who had only M 3 ; 

 their âges fall inside the limits mentioned by WELCKER (see Sc.HMIDT [1888, 149]) for the 

 irruption of M 3 . N°. 13 (PI. XXXVII, figs. 1 and 2), 33 years old, with whom M 3I M 3 were 

 absent, possibly represents a case of suppressed third molars. With 13 New Guinea crania 

 DORSEY [1897] found 3 cases, where from 2 — 4 third molars were suppressed, but it appears 

 questionable whether D. was perhaps dealing with skulls of young people, for D. reports 

 emphatically the absence of wear of the teeth to any extent, whilst (see above) at the âge 

 of thirty a set of teeth with normal cusps is very rare with maies. 



I hâve not noticed any supernumerary teeth. 



The impression trays in the size used in Europe, turned out to be too short for the 



