434 An Ethnological Inquiry Concerning ilie [October, 



miglit be adduced in support of the commonness of their origin, we 

 will base our argument upon their uniform resemblance to each 

 other, in the type of their cranial conformations. Specimens taken 

 from the different Indian tribes of this continent present heads 

 precisely analogous to those ancient crania taken from the mounds 

 over the whole territory of the United States, while they most 

 strikingly contrast with the various white populations among whom 

 they are moving. The vertical occiput — the prominent vertex — the 

 "great interparietal diameter — the low defective forehead — the small 

 internal capacity of the skull — the square or rounded form with 

 quadrangular orbits and massive maxillae, are peculiarities which 

 stamp the American groups, and more especially the Tolteean family, 

 and distinguish them widely from any other races of the earth, 

 whether ancient or modern. It has been a principle with mod- 

 ern craniologists, all other things being equal, that the size and 

 volume of the brain is a measure of intellect and force of character. 

 But Dr. Morton from an examination of 338 crania develops the 

 surprising anomaly that the brain of the Indian in his savage state 

 is far larger than the old half-civilized Peruvian or ancient Mexican. 

 The average volume of brain in the barbarous tribes is shown to 

 be from 83^ to 84 cubic inches, while that of the Mexicans is 79, 

 and in the Peruvian only 75. This, after various trials with water 

 and different kinds of seeds, was obtained with the greatest precision 

 by running small shot into the cavity of the skull and afterwards 

 measuring them. But it must be remarked that the intellectual 

 lobe of the brain in the two latter races is, at least, as large as in 

 the former ; the difference of volume being chiefly confined to the 

 basilar and occipital portions of the encephalon, so that the intel- 

 lectual and moral qualities of the Mexicans and Peruvians, which 

 were at least as large, if not larger than those of the other group, 

 were left more free to act, not being so subordinate to the propen- 

 sities and violent passions. 



In this view of the subject the seeming discrepancy vanishes, and 

 the craniological paradox of a semi-civilized race with a smaller 

 brain being superior to savage tribes with larger brains, perfectly 

 accords with such ilicts in the history of these two divisions as have 

 already come to our knowledge. It is also strongly probable, from 

 the same evidence, that the more cultivated and less resolute mound- 

 builders were vanquished and dispossessed by their more energetic 

 and barbarous neighbors. It is interesting to notice in this con- 



