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Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. [Sess. 
bodily stature of these three aboriginals necessary for the instructive com- 
parison suggested by Karutz ; the rest of his work, in which he deals with 
the relative proportions of ear breadth to ear length, will however be utilised. 
Of Australian aboriginal ear measurements of length and breadth I have 
been enabled to utilise 49 examples, derived from 46 individuals. These 49 
examples are composed of both ears of the three heads of this work, of three 
ears from the three individuals mentioned by Cunningham (26), and of the 
single ears of forty individuals measured on the living subject by Spencer 
and Gillen (41). Of these 49 ear measurements, 30 are from males and 19 
from females. 
On analysing these ear measurements, the average lengths, breadths, and 
indices for the Australian aboriginal ear are found to be as follows : — 
Greatest Ear Length. 
49 unsexed .... 
. 64-2 
30 males ..... 
. 65*5 
19 females .... 
. 621 
Greatest Ear Breadth. 
49 unsexed .... 
. 34-4 
30 males . .... 
. 34T 
19 females .... 
. 34-9 
Ear Index. 
49 unsexed .... 
. 53-6 
30 males ..... 
. 52T 
19 females .... 
562 
From these figures there emerge two facts : first, that there is a sexual 
difference in the Australian aboriginal ear ; and, second, that the female ear 
is relatively broader and shorter than the male. It is, however, right to 
observe that Cunningham (26) says, in reference to this ear index, “ I question 
very much if these indices possess any real importance in establishing racial 
distinctions, and a study of the figures given by other observers tends to 
confirm me in this opinion.” 
Karutz (45), on the other hand and in opposition to Cunningham, would 
seem to regard the relative proportions of ear breadth to ear length as of very 
distinct racial value, and gives the following proportions : — 
The proportion of ear breadth to ear length is in : — 
Germans, Semites, Hamites, and Mongolians as 1 is to T8. 
Papuans as 1 is to 1*75. 
Hottentots as 1 is to 1 *7. 
Negroes as 1 is to 1*6. 
