■Wyman.l 



442 



[April 15, 



co!!ij)afis with the least amount of shaking or compression. AH these 

 contlitions were very nearly Ibund in peas, and with the exception of 

 lightness were realized in shot, the diameter in the second case being 

 aboat 0.18 inch, and in the first 0.2.3 to 0.25 inch. Shot hare the 

 advantage over all other materials in their spherical shape, biit their 

 wei-j;ht is such that iragile crania would be destroyed by them, though 

 they may be safely used with those of ordinary strength. A skull 

 having a capacity of ninety cubic inches when filled with shot weighs 

 more then twenty pounds, which is altogether too heavy a mass to 

 handle when many crania are to be examined. 



With the view of determining the relative value of different mate- 

 rials, one and the same skull was measured eight times with each of 

 the different kinds mentioned at the head of the columns of the 

 table. The cranium was filled with a given material, which was well 

 shaken down and compressed until no more could be received. The 

 contents were then poured into a measure, care being taken that this 

 should be done in each case at a uniform rate, but wkhout being after- 

 wards shaken or pressed down. The measure used was a litre, and 

 the measurements are noted in cubic centimetres. 



From this table, it will be seen that the skull being carefully filled 

 in each case, its capacity apparently varied according to the differ- 

 ent substances used in the measurement; with peas it was 1103 c. c. 

 and with fine sand 1313 c. c, or 120 c. c. more. This diffei-ence 

 depends upon the fact that the substances used, under similar cir- 



