ANTHROPOLOGY. 
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variation. While many have little png noses with no 
perceptible bridge, and a much-rounded, projecting 
forehead, others exhibit an almost Red Indian phy¬ 
siognomy, with aquiline noses, high cheek-bones, and 
retreating foreheads. The teeth are artificially filed 
and sharp pointed, but are naturally set somewhat 
wide apart in the jaw. The whites of the eyes are 
much clouded. The ears are so tortured and mis¬ 
shapen by prevailing fashion, that it is hard to guess 
their original shape. The body is disposed to be hairy, 
but is carefully depilated all over, even to the plucking 
out of eyebrows, eyelashes, beard and moustache. 
The colour of the skin is generally dull, sooty-black, 
but this is often disguised by the coating of soot or 
red earth and fat or castor-oil, which is rubbed over 
the skin. The hair is generally shaved all round the 
head, and only allowed to grow on the occiput. Here 
it is much cultivated and pulled out into long strings, 
which are stiffened with grease and threaded with 
beads. Beads, indeed, are the adoration of the Wa- 
taita. The women wear massive collars of them, 
sometimes six inches broad and three inches deep, 
which are placed round the neck, and sometimes so 
lift up the chin as to compel the wearer to keep the 
head well thrown back. Several hundred strings of 
beads are bound round the waist, smaller bands cross 
and recross the back and breasts, they are banded 
round the shaven part of the head, they hang in 
scattered strings from the temple downwards, they 
decorate the tiny tablier or leather apron which is 
worn for purposes of decency, and the borders of the 
two-tailed leathern garment which hangs on the back 
and legs are also edged with beads of various colours. 
In both sexes the lobes of the ears are pierced, and 
