178 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. [Sess. 
the former and thus gives rise to the reductio ad absurdum results of our 
modern Italians, Australians, and Tasmanians. 
The Range of Variation. 
We now propose to consider the very important question of the range 
of variation in the Australian, Tasmanian, and the other homogeneous and 
heterogeneous races selected by us for comparison, in order to see what light 
such a study throws on the vexed question of the purity of origin or 
otherwise of the Australian aboriginal. 
Almost every author who has investigated Australian osteology has 
been impressed with the great range of variability displayed by his results. 
Thus Klaatsch (23) says that the study of the variability of the Australian 
is of the greatest significance. Wetzel (24), from his researches as to the 
amount of variation in the vertebral column of the Australian, came to the 
conclusion that the total amount of variation in the osseous vertebrate 
column of the Australian is considerably greater than in the European, but 
that, on the other hand, the variation in individual sections is less in the 
Australian than in the European, and that females are the least variable. 
Stratz (20), in advancing his theory of the racial division of mankind, states 
that the protomorphic races — especially the Australians — are characterised 
by great individual variability. Schoetensack (21) also states that the 
modern Australian is even to-day extraordinarily rich in varieties. It is 
unnecessary to multiply examples of the current belief that the Australian 
is extraordinarily rich in his range of variation, because, as will now be 
shown, our investigations confirm this view. 
Of the Tasmanian there are necessarily fewer opinions, for the sufficient 
reason that he was extinct before it was realised how important this study 
of the range of variability is. In discussing, therefore, the range of varia- 
tion exhibited by the Tasmanian we are practically breaking new ground, 
apart, of course, from the generally accepted belief that as a homogeneous 
race the Tasmanian would tend to display a less extended range of varia- 
tion than in undoubted heterogeneous races. 
Comparison of the Range of Variation in Supposed Pure Races 
like the Andamanese and Tasmanians with an Admitted 
Heterogeneous Race like the Modern Italian, with the object 
of Establishing the Place of the Doubtful Australian. 
In order to appraise the amount of variation in the pure, mixed, and 
doubtful races selected for the comparison now to be established, we have 
