1913-14.] The Place in Nature of the Tasmanian Aboriginal. 173 
graph will show that here a totally different result is produced than in the 
similar graphs for Tasmanians and Australians. If Mollison’s index be a 
correct guide to this question of similarity of race, it is clear that here we 
are dealing with two entirely different races. The Spy-Neandertal varia- 
tion index graph is seen to be highly irregular, and is by no means confined 
within the maximum and minimum range of Australian variation. 
This fact is still more strikingly brought out in fig. 7, where the 
Tasmanian is taken as the basis, and on it are plotted out the variation 
indices for the Australian and the Spy-Neandertal group. The variation 
index for the Australian is seen to be very uniform and to fall altogether 
within the Tasmanian range of variation, whilst that for the Spy-Nean- 
dertal group is most irregular and is altogether outside the range of varia- 
tion more often than within it. This figure conclusively demonstrates one 
or other of two things : either that Mollison’s variation index is not a 
reliable guide to the differentiation of race, or that the views quoted as to 
the unity of type of Australian and Spy-Neandertal are erroneous. It 
must, we think, be admitted by any fair-minded critic that one or other 
of the two things must therefore, in future, be eliminated from scientific 
discussion. 
A closer glance at the variation index for the Spy-Neandertal race on 
either the Australian or the Tasmanian (figs. 6 and 7) will show that, 
notwithstanding the marked irregularity of the graph, the index occa- 
sionally falls within the range of variation. In the case of both the 
Australian and the Tasmanian this happens 13 times out of 32. If 
Mollison’s variation index be, indeed, any reliable guide to this question 
of differentiation of race, then the most we can admit for the alleged 
relationship of Australian to Spy-Neandertal is that they have something 
in common, but that that something is so little that the view of commonality 
of race between the two must be abandoned. We agree therefore with 
Schwalbe (22), w T ho says, “ The Australians are certainly a primitive race, 
but have nothing whatever to do with Homo primigenius” 
The Relationship of Australian and Tasmanian to a Supposed 
Pure Race like the Andamanese. 
The next use which we propose to make of Mollison’s variation index 
is to test the relationship, if any, of the Tasmanian and Australian 
with a supposed homogeneous race like the Andamanese Islanders. This 
will be a useful comparison, because it has been thought by some observers 
that the Australians are very closely akin to these Islanders. Quite apart 
