No. 32.— 1886.] ETHNOLOGICAL STUDIES. 



277 



ing) in detail, and with every care. After eliminating all 

 doubtful skulls, I had fourteen left. These had a mean 

 index of 71*8, a distinct dolichocephalic measurement ; nay, 

 there was not among them a single brachycephalic, not 

 even a mesocephalic skull. On account of this peculiarity 

 I refer here to my writings, and I have no reason to doubt 

 the correctness of the results then obtained. The results 

 obtained by the measurements of skulls of these living 

 persons cannot be made to agree with those obtained by me 

 from the skulls formerly measured, even making all reason- 

 able allowances and corrections. 



There remains a want of agreement not to be for the 

 moment reconciled. Either the type of the Sinhalese skull 

 is not dolichocephalic as I assumed, or the living Sinhalese, 

 even including Girigoris Appu, were not pure Sinhalese. 



The latter appears for the moment more probable than the 

 former, because in the first place it is difficult to explain 

 where these Ceylon dolichocephalic skulls could have come 

 from if they were not Sinhalese, as I have already proved 

 (page 91) that the mean cephalic index of Tamil skulls 

 from Ceylon hitherto examined is mesocephalic, viz., 76*3. 

 If one therefore were inclined to conclude with the 

 Paris Commission that these persons were fair Tamils 

 (Malabars), a more satisfactory explanation would be 

 obtained. 



Now, however, I would accept such an explanation with 

 the greatest reserve. 



The opinion that the Sinhalese is a mixed race is very old, 

 and a descent from the Malays and Mongolians has been 

 surmised. More details on this point will be found in my 

 treatise on the Veddas, on page 110 and following pages. 

 I will only add that should in reality a large portion of the 

 Sinhalese turn out brachycephalic or high mesocephalic, 

 the question of the relations with Indian races would 

 acquire a greater significancy than I have been hitherto 

 inclined to accord it. Discussing the examinations of the 



