1914] on Some Portraits of Shakespeare and Burns 



87 



was slightly above the average in width (185 millimetres), and from 

 the various portraits we may infer it had about the average length^ 

 120 millimetres. Thus, while Burns' face was of average size — with 

 long, aquiline nose, deep, capacious eye-sockets and robust eyebrow 

 ridges — his head or cranial case was far above the average size. Sir 

 Walter Scott was of opinion that the portraits of Burns failed to 



lOOf 



100 



200 



MODERN ENGLISH 



Fig. 10. — Profile of Burns' skull compared with another of the same type, but 

 of average dimensions. Both are oriented on the same plane, and drawn 

 to the same scale. 



represent the massive n ess of his features. The artist probably found 

 that if he gave full value to the head, the face appeared dwarfed. 



Burns' skull represents an ancient type. In Fig. 12, I have 

 reproduced a drawing of his skull from above ; side by side, I have 

 placed a similar drawing of the Olmo skull. This skull was dis- 

 covered deeply embedded in a deposit formed in the bottom of an 



