Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

58
RACIAL AFFINITIES
who, in discussing the height of individuals measured
by Vaughan- Stevens, gives the figures which are
quoted in the Appendix.
— —
In another volume of the Verhandlungen^ Virchow
refers to the skull of a Sakai (Senoi) woman, which
he describes as orthodolichocephalic, and the full de-
scription of which will be found in the Appendix.
The most interesting point about this skull, apart
from its dolichocephalic character and certain structural
anomalies, is the formation of the nose, which is de-
pressed to such an extent that Virchow was tempted
to regard it as pithekoid. Another no less important
point in Virchow's paper is the description he gives of
the Sakai hair-character, concerning which he says :
•' On the other hand, I must also point to a very pronounced Sakai (Blandas)
characteristic. In a recent consignment sent by H. Vaughan-Stevens was found
the lock of hair of a Sakai {Senoi) man from the north of the Peninstila. The
memorandum sent with it was to the effect that ' the clan to which the man
belongs does not cut the hair.' At the meeting of 2ist November 1891 {Verh.
p. 844), I treated the Sakai (Blandas) hair in detail from a large number of
specimens of hair sent by Vaughan-Stevens. As compared with those specimens,
I may briefly state that the lock of hair now before us exactly corresponds to
them. Its wavy striuture distinguishes it co7npletely from the spirally curled
structure of the E. Semang (Pangan) hair (Verh. 1892, p. 443). Its length
amounts to rather more than 20 cm., but we cannot decide exactly how long the
hair was when entire, as it is not stated at what distance from the scalp the lock
was cut off. It is of a blackish appearance, and in reflected light of a slightly
brownish and glossy colour ; seen under the microscope in thin sections it is light
brown, with a dark and often interrupted medulla. The ends, as is the case
with the uncut hair, are pointed, broken at the sides, and frequently split into two
or more fragments.
'
' The contrast between the two races cannot be more sharply expressed. Unfor-
tunately Vaughan-Stevens has neglected to take advantage of his opportunities,
and to send us a larger number of specimens of hair from his Semang friends, of
which measurements would also be highly desirable. We hope the opportunity
will be given him to fill up these gaps." -
Elsewhere Vaughan-Stevens, writing apparently of
the body-hair of the Sakai (Blandas) tribes, says:
" The natural growth of the hair is thin and scattered, and in both sexes the
direction of growth of the hair (of the body), as well as that at the back of the
head and under the arms, is slightly upwards."
1 V. B. G. A. xxviii. 154 (cp. I. c, ^ lb. xxvi. 359. See also Montano,
1894, for further particulars). PI. xxxi.