434 Proceedings of the British Association. 



thirds of the entire weight of the cerebral mass is placed behind the 

 occipital foramen, and in which the bones of the face are very 

 much elongated, so as to give to these crania more the appearance 

 of certain species of the ape family, than that of human beings. 

 Mr Pentland entered into details to prove that this extraordinary 

 form cannot be attributed to pressure, or any external force, 

 similar to that still employed by many American tribes, and ad- 

 duced, in confirmation of this view, the opinions of Cuvier, of Gall, 

 and of many other celebrated naturalists and anatomists. 



The remains of this extraordinary race are found in ancient tombs 

 of the mountainous districts of Peru and Bolivia, and principally in 

 the great interalpine valley of Titicaca, and on the borders of the 

 lake of the same name. These tombs present very remarkable ar- 

 chitectural beauty, and appear not to date beyond seven or eight 

 centuries before the present period. 



The race of men to which these extraordinary remains belong, 

 appears to Mr Pentland to have constituted the inhabitants of the 

 elevated regions, situated between the 14° and 19° degrees of South 

 Lat. before the arrival of this present Indian population, which, in 

 its physical characters, its customs, &c. offers many analogies with 

 the Asiatic races of the old world. 



Mr Pentland took occasion to defend M. Humboldt from some 

 accusations of inaccuracy in his measurements of the heights of 

 several points in the Andes of the neighbourhood of Quito, con- 

 tained in Colonel Hall's paper read on a previous day. 



On some peculiar secretions and elaborations, viewed in con- 

 nexion with the ascent of the sap. By John Murray, Esq. 



On a new species of pecten. By T. Brown, Esq. 



On the progress of successive vegetation, at various heights, on 

 the Hymalayan Mountains. By J. F. Royle, Esq. 



Some observations on the structure of feathers. By Sir David 

 Brewster. 



Section E. — Anatomy and Medicine. 



Dr Alison read a notice of some observations made by himself 

 and Mr Dick, veterinary surgeon, on the vital condition of arteries 

 leading to inflamed parts, referred to at Tuesday's meeting, and 

 one of which had been repeated by the Committee then appointed 

 for the purpose, with a short statement of inferences, as to the 

 essential nature of inflammation, thence deducible. The result of 

 these observations was, that the contractile power of the larger ar- 



