SCHAAFFHAFSEN ON THE CRANIA OF THE ANCIENT RACES OF MAN. 175 



nal outline, for surmising that the superciliary ridges may have been pro- 

 minent. But as we have had no opportunity of inspecting either the 

 skull itself, which is in a very shattered condition, or a cast of it, and. 

 as the drawing given of the front view does not support the surmise, 

 we must be content with simply throwing it out, — leaving the point 

 to be determined by future examination. As the Engis cranium, from 

 its undoubted geological antiquity, is of particular interest, and per- 

 haps the most interesting relic of ancient humanity in existence, we 

 give reduced copies of Dr. Schmerling's figures,* which may be the 

 more acceptable, as his work is not very generally accessible in this 

 country. 



With respect to the relationship between the prisca gens to which these 

 cave-bones belong, and any of those which, since their time, have inha- 

 bited Western Europe or are anywhere found living, no satisfactory 

 opinion can at present be offered. Dr. Schmerlrng, it is true, fancied 

 that he perceived some resemblance between his cranium and that of 

 the Negro, but it must be confessed that his figures or measurements 

 give no support to this notion. Dr. Schaaffhausen, enters pretty fully into 

 the question of this relationship; and we have, therefore, little need to 

 say more upon such an obscure and difficult matter. At the same time, 

 we cannot avoid insisting upon one important point, viz. : that none of 

 the crania above noticed, unless it be, perhaps, that from Plau, belong 

 to the brachycephalic type; that is to say, the breadth in all is less than 

 T Vths of the length; they cannot, consequently, be referred to the 

 short-headed race or races, which there is much reason to believe con- 

 stituted the earliest of the existing European stocks. 



Description of Plates, 

 plate IV. 



Fig. 1 . Various views of the Neanderthal cranium (taken from a 

 plaster cast in the possession of Sir Charles Lyell), one-half size of na- 

 ture). 



2. Side view of the cranium of a young Chimpanzee (one-ninth 

 less than nature). 



plate v. 



Fig. 1 . Side view of the cranium of a Red Indian. 



2. Front view of the same. 



3. Side view of the Engis^ craniunf (reduced one-half from Dr. 

 Schmerling's figure). 



4. Front view of the same. 



5. Longitudinal view of the Mewslade cranium. 



6. 7. Cranium from limestone quarry near Plymouth. 



PI. V., figs 3, 4. 



