Aug. 1897. Observations on Papuan Crania — Dorsin. 37 



Si : the lowest is 68, from a male. Adopting the nomenclature of 

 Turner,* we may say the series is very slightly metriocephalic, or, 

 in the German nomenclature, orthocephalic. It may be noted in the 

 table that the mean general vertical index and the cephalic index are 

 about equal. Of course, this can happen only when the basi-breg- 

 matic height is equal to the maximum transverse diameter. As 

 Turner has shown, this is not the case in the brachycephalic Papuan 

 crania, but is the rule in the dolichocephalic crania. If the doli- 

 chocephalism is pronounced the vertical index will exceed the 

 cephalic index, as in fact it does in the majority of the skulls of 

 the present series. 



Norma Inferior. — The foramen magnum is ovoid or at times dia- 

 mond shape in outline. It averages 35 mm. in length in the males 

 and 32 mm. in the females ; the average width is 29 mm. for the males 

 and 27 mm. for the females ; hence the foramen magnum is larger in the 

 males than in the females. The basilar process is short and relatively 

 narrow. The condyles are, as a rule, well forward, and in some instances 

 encroach on the anterior median aspect. There is considerable indi- 

 vidual variation in the size, etc., of the various foramina, the foramen 

 ovale and spinosum especially showing considerable range, and the 

 posterior condyloid foramen being absent in several instances and the 

 fossae being subject to great variation in size and depth. In one 

 skull there was platybasic deformation. 



For reasons already given it was found impossible to measure or 

 fully describe the hard palate, and this is much to be regretted. A 

 well marked torus palatinus occurs once, and in two palates the 

 transverse palatine suture is not horizontal but oblique in its course, 

 owing to the encroachment of the median portions of the palatine 

 bones on the maxillary bones. In no skull was there discovered any 

 trace of a pre-or inter- maxillary suture, but this failure may in part, 

 perhaps, be ascribed to the blackened condition of the palates and 

 also to the fact that careful examination from the inferior surface was 

 impossible. It was also impossible to make any observations on the 

 depth, width or position of the glenoid foss;r. 



Lower Jaw. — No definite series of observations was made on tin 

 lower jaw for reasons already given, but its weak development is 

 very noticeable. The mental protuberance and tubercles are rarely 

 strongly marked, while in many instances there is a distinct backward 

 inclination in the symphysis from above downwards. The ramus 

 may be described as short and narrow, with an extremely open 



♦"Challenger Reports," Zoology. Vol. X, " Human Crania," p. ;. 



