THE ABORIGINES OF TASMANIA. 335 



When the hairs were examined microscopically, the shaft was seen not to be 

 uniform in breadth, even in parts in close proximity to each other, owing to their 

 resting sometimes on the larger diameter (breadth), at others on the smaller diameter 

 (depth), so that it presented different aspects to the observer and was as if twisted 

 on itself (fig. 31). The measurements of the two diameters, when computed by the 

 formula, gave a hair index which averaged 67* 



I examined the structure of the Tasmanian hair under low and high powers. 

 The cortex, or rind, constituted the bulk of the hair, and was marked with dark 

 spots and lines running longitudinally, which gave it the fibrous character and black 

 or dark brown colour. The margin of the hair was distinguished by a bright, 

 narrow, non-pigmented line which represented the thickness of the cuticular covering. 

 Occasionally the hair split longitudinally in the direction of its fibro-cells. It was 

 exceptional not to see an axial medulla in the dark hairs, both in the shaft and the 

 follicular end ; and the medulla constituted about one-fifth of the breadth of the hair. 

 In many cases the medulla formed a continuous band for a large part of the length 

 of the hair, but in others it was broken into short divisions or fragments. The 

 medulla was so dark that its constituent cells could not be recognised. I have 

 called attention on p. 311 to short delicate hairs emerging from the scalp. When 

 closely examined they were seen to be brown, with a clear cuticle and dark lines 

 and spots in the cortex, the latter of which were sometimes diffused ; no sign of an 

 axial band of medulla was visible. 



I have referred on p. 311 to the hair of Mrs Cochrane Smith, a Tasmanian half- 

 breed, which differed both in colour and character from a pure aboriginal. Under the 

 microscope two kinds of hair were distinguished, the one in shades of brown, mostly 

 pale in tint, the other practically colourless. In neither was a pigmented band of 

 medulla seen, and the hair consisted of cortex with a cuticular covering. The brown 

 colour was clue to spots and longitudinal lines in the cortex. The hair shaft varied 

 in breadth, though without a definite twist, the maximum being about 0'08 mm. 

 and the minimum about "050, which gave an index about 65. 



New Hebrides. — The observations were made on hair cut from the scalp. The 

 shaft examined microscopically by transmitted light was not uniform in character, a 

 broader diameter alternating with a narrower, owing to the twist of the hair on 

 itself. In the middle of the shaft the broader part ranged from "097 to '08 mm., 

 and the narrower part from "0625 to "0525, which gave a mean hair index 73. The 

 cut ends of the hairs were from "055 to '08 mm. ; the diameter of the tip of a 

 hair was '025. In structure the cortex had the customary fibrous appearance in 



* It has been customary to compute the hair index from measurements of the larger and smaller diameters in 

 transverse sections of the hair. In determining the index in the Ulotrichi I have measured the larger and smaller 

 diameters in adjoining parts of the twisted hair shaft itself, without making sections, and have computed the index 

 with the customary formula. The results closely corresponded with those obtained by other observers from the 

 measurement of transverse sections. The index of the hair in its follicle was, however, computed from transverse 

 sections of the hairs as they lie in the cutis. 



