4 
Methods 
The same instruments were used as in the work of 1927 in northeastern 
Manitoba, namely, an anthropometer, calipers, and sliding compass made 
by Hermann, and an additional measuring rod. A surveyor’s spirit-level, 
attached to the measuring rod, insured that it was held perpendicularly, 
and replaced the plumb lines employed last year. With the exception of 
the arm stretch in the case of the men, and of the arm stretch and the 
proportions of the ear in the case of the women — which were omitted 
because the subjects were neither too willing nor too submissive — the same 
observations were made and the same measurements were taken as last 
year. All measurements were recorded by myself on prepared blank 
forms. They were taken a second time, and in this way were checked. 
If there was an appreciable difference between the two readings (i.e., 1-0 
cm. insofar as stature and sitting height were concerned; 1-0 mm. for other 
measurements) a third and at times a fourth was taken. In the case of 
the soft parts, nose, upper lip, mouth, ear, and hand, it was usual to take 
only one reading. 
In addition to these observations and measurements samples of blood 
were taken for grouping purposes. But, as the taking of even a drop of 
blood deterred a number from coming forward, caused others to avoid me, 
and others openly to refuse to be measured, it was made known that the 
women’s blood would not be required. 
For blood sampling the following equipment was taken into the field: 
400 (3 x | inches) test tubes half filled with formalin cittate solution, 1 
sterilized, corked, and sealed with paraffin wax; freshly collected and 
strongly active samples of blood serum belonging to groups 2 and 3 
put up in phials; a thousand or more 4-inch lengths of finely drawn 
glass tubing, sterilized and packed in wide test tubes, served as capillary 
pipettes; one dozen microscope slides having the figure 2 scratched on one 
end and the figure 3 on the other; a file to open the serum phials; plasticene 
to support the phials and tubes while making the tests; a lancet with con- 
cealed spring blade; a sharpening stone; gauze and methylated spirits, to 
sterilize the lancet and clean the skin. 
The thumb, after being rubbed with gauze soaked in spirit, was stabbed 
on the back of the terminal phalanx, and one or two drops of blood were 
collected by inverting a tube of formalin-citrate solution over the drop. 
The tiibe was recorked and the serial number of the subject written on the 
adhesive label on the tube. A drop of serum 2, and a drop of serum 3, 
making use of a separate pipette for each, were transferred to the corres- 
pondingly marked ends of a microscope slide placed on a sheet of white 
paper. With a third pipette a drop of blood, in citrate solution, was added 
to the serum at each end of the slide (contamination being avoided). The 
serum and blood citrate solution were mixed by agitating the slide. The 
appearance of a fine brick dust (cayenne pepper) precipitate, visible to the 
naked eye, was regarded as a positive reaction. A test was not regarded 
as negative until at least twenty minutes had elapsed, unless the slide had 
in the meantime been agitated, and unless a smoky appearance had been 
produced. Eight blood samples from Chipewyan did not give a positive 
1 Snyder, L. H.: "Human Blood Groups"; Am. Jour, of Phys. Anthropology, vol. IX (192G). 
