1920.] Jenness.—Ethnological Research in New Zealand. 215 
1. Physical Anthropology. 
A thorough knowledge of the physical anthropology of the Maoris is 
an indispensable preliminary to the scientist who would study their racial 
affinities and past history. We lack at the present time full and reliable 
information concerning the different physical types that are found among 
them—information, that is, based on accurate tables of measurements show¬ 
ing individual statures, and head-, trunk-, and limb-proportions. I would 
suggest that these data might be obtained by the Dominion Museum 
through the different Health officers and medical practitioners who work 
among the Maoris. Any medical man who would undertake this work 
could be furnished with the necessary instruments and supplied with 
a handbook giving information concerning the measurements required. 
A few details concerning these instruments will be found in this paper. 
2. Songs and Traditions. 
Before all the old incantations, songs, &c., are forgotten they should be 
systematically collected on phonographic records and carefully catalogued 
and stored in the Dominion Museum. In this way not only the ancient 
music would be preserved, but the records would form an excellent basis 
for future linguistic study, especially if the texts of the songs were written 
down at the same time. Care should be taken to record in every case the 
name, descent, and tribe of the singer; wherever possible, too, there 
should be a photograph of him accompanying his records. In the case of 
traditions and folk-lore an effort might perhaps be made to induce 
more of the older Maoris to write or dictate manuscript accounts. This 
would involve no great expenditure, and even if the manuscript were 
in Maori and could not be translated immediately, yet the museum 
would have acquired some very valuable material for the use of scholars 
in the future. 
The type of phonograph that is used for recording Indian songs and 
incantations by the staff of the Victoria Memorial Museum is the Edison 
Standard. This machine is no longer manufactured, but good second-hand 
machines can be obtained anywhere in Canada or the United States for 
about 20 dollars, while blank cylinders cost about 35 cents apiece. Pro¬ 
bably other machines could be found which would answer the purpose 
equally well. 
3. Anthropometric Instruments. 
An excellent set of anthropometric instruments, very light and portable, 
was supplied by P. Hermann, Scheuchzerstrasse 71, Zurich, at a cost of 
about £4 10s. This was before the war ; but, as far as I can ascertain, 
the same firm is still capable of supplying them, though probably at an 
increased cost. Certain instruments could be obtained also from W. F. 
Stanley and Co., 5 Great Turnstile Street, London W.C. The Royal 
Anthropological Institute of Great Britain, Bloomsbury Street, London, 
could furnish information on this matter. 
Messrs. Hermann and Co.’s set of instruments comprised a pair of bow 
callipers, straight callipers, a steel tape, and two pencils in one case, and an 
instrument for measuring stature in another. The weight of the whole 
outfit would be hardly greater than 5 lb. All of these instruments are 
graduated on the metric system. Most anthropologists in their field-work 
add to this outfit an engineer’s callipers, which is more convenient than 
the straight callipers for certain head-measurements. 
