470 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. IX, 



in my tables have been used, show the exterior outlines of 

 the noses and orbits. The horizontal line, after which these 

 skulls as well as those on my Tables have been arranged, is the 

 so-called German horizontal line, which is drawn from the 

 lowest point of the inferior edge of the orbit to the highest 

 point of the superior circumference of the outer ear opening. 

 The difference in the form of the entrance to the orbit is in 

 this way quite as perceptible as the difference in the distance 

 of the orbits from each other, and in the position of the edges 

 of the orbital entrance toward the horizontal line. 



The measures and indices of the orbits in question are as 

 follows : — 



Breadth. Height. Index. 



Vedda ... 39 mm. ... 33 mm. ... 84*6 



Sinhalese ... 39 mm. ... 30 mm. ... 76*9 

 Tamil ... 37 mm. ... 32 mm. ... 86*4 



According to this the Vedda orbit is mesokonch, the 

 Sinhalese chamaekonch, the Tamil hypsikonch. The differ- 

 ence between the first two rests solely on the lesser height, 

 whilst both differ from the Tamils in their greater 

 breadth. 



But with this difference is associated a real divergence in 

 the curvature and sloping off of the edges. The curve is 

 slightest with the Sinhalese, where the upper and under edges 

 are almost straight, and run parallel to each other, so that as 

 the outer edge also is very slightly convex, a flattened quad- 

 rangular face with rounded corners is the result. In the case 

 of the Vedda, where the orbits themselves are largest, the 

 edges have a tolerably regular curve, so that the shape of the 

 orbital entrance is almost round, only the diagonal from the 

 top and inside to the bottom outside is longer because of the 

 greater expansion about the cheek bones. Finally, with the 

 Tamil, which exceeds the rest in height, the upper edge is 

 but slightly convex, and the widening toward the zygomatic 

 .bone more distinct ; owing to this the shape of the orbital 

 entrance becomes an oblique ova 1. 



To this dissimilarity is to be added the very different 



