8 Introduction. 



crania. The average may be put at about thirty-five to forty years, 

 but one skull having the basilar synchondrosis open, and none of 

 them showing any signs of considerable age. 



In regard to the measurements taken, only those have been 

 adopted which are in general use by craniologists. Concerning the 

 methods employed but few words are necessary. The cranial capac- 

 ity is taken with No. 8 shot, after the directions of Broca, as 

 described in detail by Topinard in his "Elements d' Anthropologic." 

 It should be borne in mind, however, that, as E. Schmidt has pointed 

 out, although the method of Broca, when conscientiously conducted, 

 reduces the "personal" element to a minimum, its results are in 

 excess of the true capacity ; and Schmidt has tabulated the percent- 

 age of error, so that it is possible by making the proper deduction to 

 arrive at a correct result. As the majority of observers, however, 

 have given their results as originally found byBroca's method, I have 

 allowed my results to stand without alteration. 



The weight is recorded in ounces, and is merely given to show 

 sexual and individual variation. The maximum length is taken from 

 the glabella. For the facial diameters I have not followed the most 

 common usage, but in both cases have started from nasion. This, 

 of course, does not give the true diameter of the length of the 

 face; but it does limit the factor of possible error on the part 

 of the observer. The dental index is after the formula of Pro- 

 fessor Flower. Other references to methods and measurements will 

 be found in the text, especially in the general summary. While the 

 fact that the lower jaw is held in place by bandages is of great inter- 

 est to the ethnologist, it prevents in most cases any careful study of 

 the condition of the hard palate, or of the variations in the size or 

 cusps of the teeth. For this reason no attempt has been made to 

 measure the hard palate, or to pursue any definite detailed series of 

 observations of the lower jaw. It may also be noted here that in 

 almost every case the interior nares have been destroyed by the band- 

 ages ; this destruction generally included the lachrymals and the 

 greater portion of the ethmoid bone, so that here also we are deprived 

 of studying the individual variations in the lachrymal, one of the most 

 interesting, although the smallest, bone in the face. 



