SPANISH ANTHROPOLOGY. 105 



The last of these preliminary investigations, that into 

 the differences of indices prevailing at high and low 

 levels, is of importance in view of the general prevalence 

 of brachykephaly in the populations of the mountain-masses 

 of Central Europe, which is so distinct that some authors 

 use the name " Alpine " to designate the great round- 

 headed race which is usually called Keltic, Rhcetian or 

 Kelto-Slavonic ; in view, too, of the opinion shadowed by 

 Johannes Ranke as to the connection of mountain habitat 

 with brachykephaly, and of the fact that mountains, in cold 

 or temperate latitudes at least, are usually the refuge of 

 primitive and conquered, plains the possession of more 

 recent and conquering tribes. 



Oloriz's facts mostlv agree with the latter, not with the 

 former, rule. A comparison of the populations dwelling 

 below and above the 500 metre line is not very striking. 

 In Eastern Cataluha the broader heads are in the higher 

 ground, contiguous to the French frontier. In most parts 

 of Andalusia the converse obtains very decidedly, the 

 mountaineers being the longer-headed by about 1*27 degree 

 (77*84 to 79*12). On the northern, or Cantabrian slope, 

 the mountaineers, again, are rather broader-headed (80*2 to 

 79*4), which is difficult to explain, unless the invaders came 

 by land. 



But when the dividing line is drawn at 1000 metres 

 (3300 feet), above which height there is a considerable 

 population, the contrast is more striking. The figures 

 are : — 



Obsns. Index. 



Below 500 metres . . . 2770 78*45 



Between 500 and 1000 metres . 4213 78" 20 

 Above 1000 metres . . . 437 77*49 



As Oloriz puts it, if Spain were suddenly submerged to 

 the 500 metre line, the index of the survivors would not be 

 very much lower than that of the population had been 

 previously ; but if it were sunk another 500 metres, the 

 archipelago which would have replaced the present penin- 

 sula would be inhabited solely by dolichokephalic com- 

 munities, except only one or two islets in the north, 



