338 Analysis of Scientific Books. 



over the chest, the fore-arms directed obliquely upwards, towards 

 the extremities of the shoulders. The fingers of the left hand 

 alone were bent inwardly, the thumb remaining extended. No 

 papyrus, or other object of interest, was found within the grasp of 

 the left hand, but a mere lump of rags, which had been previously 

 dipped in the same bituminous substance observed in other portions 

 of the envelopes. 



The general surface of the body was of a deep brown colour, 

 approaching to black, and quite dry. In parts where tiie larger 

 muscles lay, as the thighs for instance, the surface felt quite soft 

 to the touch, and the muscles yielded slightly to pressure. The 

 cuticle appeared to have been removed throughout, except at the 

 extreme points of the fingers and toes. 



" The dimensions of the mummy appeared to me," says Dr. G., 

 " to deserve the next consideration ; and they were taken with 

 great accuracy. Such an opportunity as that before me, of ascer- 

 taining the size and proportions of an Egyptian woman, who had 

 probably lived before the building of the pyramids of Memphis, 

 could not be allowed to escape ; especially as no admeasurement 

 of a really perfect female mummy has been recorded in modern 

 times. I deemed it, therefore, an object of importance in the 

 study of the natural history of man, to have those admeasurements 

 ascertained with precision. It is well known, that the Egyptian 

 form has been assumed as the type of a specific variety of the 

 Ethiopian race, particularly by the venerable Blumenbach, from 

 certain supposed peculiarities of outward conformation. The 

 consideration of what follows will enable us, as far as a solitary 

 instance can do, to judge of the correctness of such conjectural 

 generalizations. 



Height of the mummy from the vertex of the head to 



Feet Inch. 



the inferior surface of the calcaneum . . .5 0^ 6 



Thus divided : 



Length of the head from the vertex to the first verte- 

 bra of the neck .06^ 



Length of the back-bone from the first vertebra of the 

 neck, to the articulation of the os sacrum with the 

 os coccygis . . . . . . 1 10 



Length of the thigh from the centre of the head of the 



femur to the centre of the knee pan . . .15^ 



Length of the leg from the centre of the knee pan to 



the inferior surface of the calcaneum . . .13^ 



Total 5 0/ ff 



