ART. 24 CATALOGUE OF HUMAN CRANIA — HRDLICKA 89 



COMMENTS ON THE AUSTRALIANS 



The Australians, while generally related, are not of exactly the 

 same type in all parts of the territory. 



They are all characterized by relative narrowness of the head and 

 hence marked dolichocephaly. But they differ moderately in this 

 respect in the several territories. The most pronounced dolichoce- 

 phaly is met with in the northwest, north, and central south, the 

 least pronounced in the west, east, and southeast. 



Much more marked differences, however, are found in the height 



of the vault and the mean height index ( . t . t^ V Both the 



*= \mean of L + B/ 



absolute height and the index are lowest or next to lowest in south 



Australia, where the cephalic index is also low; and both are high 



in Queensland where the cephalic index is also higher. On the other 



hand in northwestern and northern Australia, where the cephalic 



index is decidedly low, the height index is near or at the maximum. 



In size, the skull is smallest in the northern territory and north- 

 western Australia, largest in Victoria. In the northwest the con- 

 dition is possibly especially significant, as it seems to be associated 

 with a higher stature; but the data, both on the living and on the 

 skulls, are not sufficient for definite conclusions. 



The basion-nasion length ranges from 9.9 cm. in western Australia 

 to 10.15 cm. in Victoria. Relatively to skull length it gives the 

 index (or percentage) of from 52.8 in northwestern Australia to 53.3 

 in central Australia, showing great uniformity. But it is 54.2 in the 

 northern territory, where the length of the head in both sexes, as 

 well as the size of the head, are the smallest. Evidently the small- 

 ness of the vault in this exceptional series is due especially to deficiency 

 in the posterior half of the skull. 



The upper facial index is lowest in central Australia, Queensland, 

 and New South Wales, highest in the western and northwestern 

 Provinces. But if central Australia on one hand and northwestern 

 Australia on the other be eliminated, as they may well be on account 

 of the small numbers of specimens, then the index is seen to present 

 a remarkable uniformity, greater than any of the other characters, 

 excepting the facial angle. 



The facial angle is lowest (greatest prognathism) in south and 

 west Australia, highest in Queensland. 



The orbital index is lowest in the northwest, highest in Queensland 

 and southern Australia. 



The nasal index is lowest in western and southern, highest in 

 eastern, central, and southeastern Australia. 



The palate is relatively longest (or narrowest) in central and south 

 Australia (which shows also the highest facial angle), relatively 



