10 



Transactions. — Zoology. 



index of 89-3. The North Island skulls, on the other hand,, 

 have a majority whose height exceeds their width. In twenty- 

 one is this the case, while in twelve the opposite condition is 

 present. In two both diameters are equal. In these skulls^ 

 the lowest height-breadth index is 92-8, the height in this skull 

 being 128mm., and the breadth 138mm. Though the skulls 

 which come from the southern half of the North Island are 

 those in which the height exceeds the breadth of the brain- 

 case most frequently, the numbers observed are too few and 

 the district too large to allow of any tribal character being 

 based on their measurements. Fortunately we are, thanks ta 

 Professors Flower and Turner, in a position to speak more 

 definitely wdth regard to the skulls from the northern part of 

 the Island. Combining their results with mine, we have, out 

 of a set of thirty-three adult skulls, nineteen in wdiich the 

 height exceeds the width, thirteen in which the width exceeds 

 the height, and two in w'hich both diameters are equal. Con- 

 trasting tliese skulls in this respect with those from the South 

 Island, we find that, while in 42-1 per cent, of the Ngaitahu 

 the height is in excess of the width, there are 57 "6 per cent, 

 of these high skulls from this northern district. The average 

 height of the Ngaitahu skulls is 136mm. ; the average maxi- 

 mum width of the same skulls is 137"3mm. These diameters 

 in the thirty-three of the Auckland group average 136-2mm. 

 and 136-3mni. 



Fbontad Index. 



The proportion betw^een the maximum luidtJi of the brain- 

 case and its minimum frontal width as shown by this index 

 varies httle in the four groups. The range of variation is II- 7, 

 and 59 per cent, of the indices are between 65 and 70. Com- 

 paring the asterionic and Stephanie ividths, we find that among 

 the male Ngaitahu skulls there are eleven in which the 

 asterionic and twelve in which the Stephanie is the greater 

 diameter. In two they are equal. Among the female skulls 

 the asterionic is the greater in four, the Stephanie in eight, 

 and in two they are equal. The numbers in the North Island 



