38 



SMITHSONIAN M ISCEF.LANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 93 



with skin the closure in some of the cases must have been about com- 

 plete. Large growths are frequently accompanied by smaller ones. 

 The circumscribed exostoses never coalesce, and they never become 

 fused with the wall they reach in their growth. 



An attempt was made to record the exostoses found as to size. Such 

 a procedure is difficult and calls not only for extensive experience but 

 also for a clear notion as to the range of variation of the growths. 

 With these conditions satisfied, it is possible to arrive at a rational 

 classification which, although incapable of mathematical accuracy, is 

 nevertheless really useful for conveying a fair picture of the condi- 

 tions. 



The whole range in size of the growths was divided into small, 

 moderate to medium, and large. The " small " ranged from that which 

 could be distinctly diagnosed as a new growth to those grades where 

 the formation began to be too much developed to be still readily 

 included in that class ; the " moderate to medium " were those from 

 the upper boundary of the " small " to such as would occlude up to 

 a half of the canal ; and the " large " were those growths that oc- 

 cluded more than half of the meatus. The results obtained are not 

 without interest : 



Size of the Ear Exostoses 



Group 



Egyptian 



American: 



Eskimo 



Old Pueblo 



N. Dakota 



Florida 



California 



NE. States 



Peru 



Virginia 



Louisiana 



Arkansas 



S. Dakota, all 



S. Dakota, Mowbridge 

 Kentucky 



Polynesian: 



New Zealand 



Hawaii 



Number 

 of skulls 

 examined 



454 



1 ,000 

 500 

 29 

 395 

 435 

 1 12 



3,651 



65 

 61 



173 



109 



76 



90 



19 



Percentage 

 of skulls 

 with ear 

 exostoses 







6 



8 

 10 

 II 



14 3 

 21-5 

 24 

 27 

 27 

 30 

 32 



21 . 1 



26 .4 



Size of the bony growths 



Small 



Percent 

 76.5 



25.0 

 100. o 



50.0 



67.2 



78.8 



75 o 

 50 9 

 524 

 78.1 



657 

 60.3 



55 I 



45 I 



86.7 

 96.7 



Moderate 

 to medium 



Percent 

 23 5 



75 o 



13 3 

 3-3 



Large 



Percent 



6.6 

 71 

 31 

 6.2 



4 9 



There are some very perceptible and significant dififerences in the 

 above figures. In the old Egyptians, the Pueblos, and the two Poly- 



