5 8 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



modulus. One of the chief objects of study in physical anthro- 

 pology is the skull, and it is important to have some convenient 

 means of comparing skulls of different kinds. To compare 

 measurements taken in one direction only, of course gives no 

 results of value ; thus, to know that one skull is nine and 

 another is eight inches long, tells nothing as to shape or rela- 

 tive capacity. Authors accordingly devised the cranial index, 

 found by dividing the length of the skull into the breadth and 

 expressing the result decimally. If skulls had but two dimen- 

 sions this index would be satisfactory ; as it is, it is not perfect. 

 A new index was devised which should take account of the height 

 of the skull ; the height being divided by the length and the re- 

 sult expressed decimally. By a combination of these two indices 

 a fair idea of the skull would be given, but in a comparison of 

 the indices of a number of skulls great difficulty arises. One ex- 

 pression is what is desired. After much careful study and experi- 

 mental work, Prof. Schmidt worked out the modulus ; the length, 

 breadth, and height are measured and their arithmetical mean 

 is taken. 



A veteran worker is Dr. Herman Welcker, Director of the 

 Anatomical Laboratory of the University of Halle. The build- 

 ing he occupies is one of the few in Europe that has been built 

 recently and for scientific purposes. Welcker's work extends 

 back through many years, and, although all of his suggestions 

 have not been accepted by other workers, his contributions to 

 craniology have been numerous and valuable. In the museum 

 under his charge is a wonderful series of skulls, especially rich in 

 Papuan, South sea island, and Indian specimens. One notice- 

 able feature of the museum is the exceedingly large collection of 

 human monsters, two-headed, cyclopean, etc. perhaps the largest 

 in the world. 



No physical anthropologist in Europe is more widely known 

 or more respected than Dr. Rudolph Virchow, of Berlin. He is in 

 charge of the Pathological Institute of the university, where he 

 has a vast quantity of valuable material. Among other osteologi- 

 cal collections are great numbers of skeletons and skulls of the 

 Negrito pygmies. Virchow's writings have been extensive and 

 most important. He is at present engaged upon a great work 

 a study of crania of American Indians, from both the Northern 

 and Southern continents. An atlas of plates will form a part of 

 the work, and every skull will be represented as seen from five 

 different positions. The matter of fixing a skull in position for 

 drawing is one of no little importance, and unfortunately there is 

 no agreement between French and German workers in regard 

 to what shall be called the horizontal line. The French con- 

 sider a line drawn from the occipital foramen to a point between 



