97 



NOTES ON THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE TAS- 

 MANIAN CRANIA IN THE TASMANIAN MUSEUM, 

 HOBART. 



By Walter R. Harper, Member Polynesian Society, 

 and Arthur H. Clarke, M.R.C.S., etc. 



(PLATES.) 



The crania of which the measurements are hereinafter 

 given are all in the Tasmanian Museum at Hobart, and have 

 never before been measured. It is to be regretted that more 

 were not available, and that those in the Museum were so 

 damaged and incomplete. However, as, comparatively 

 speaking, very few complete craniometrical tables of Tas- 

 manian skulls have been published, we believe that our efforts 

 in this direction may prove of some value. We have not 

 attempted to draw conclusions as to the origin of the 

 Tasmanians, nor to define characteristics, we have simply 

 taken the measurements as accurately and carefully as pos- 

 sible, and hope that our masters, the savants of the Old 

 World, will find in their researches some use for these records 

 of an extinct race. So that our measurements may be com- 

 pared with those of other craniologists, we have thought it 

 best to preface our tables by a short description of the system 

 followed. 



Practically the whole of the straight and curved measure- 

 ments were taken as directed by Broca*. The vertex has 

 been considered always as at the bregma, and the cephalic 

 index arrived at by the formula : — 



Maximum transverse diameter x 100, 

 Glabello-occipital length. 



The " ophryo-occipital and nasio-occipital lengths are also 

 given. 



The " minimum frontal " and Stephanie diameters are the 

 inferior and superior transverse frontal diameters of Broca, 

 and the circumferences are those of the same master. 



In taking the infra-auricular circumferences we have 

 adopted the suggestion of Professor Scott f, and used a 

 piece of fine cord instead of the usual tape. The palate was 

 measured according to the directions given by Sir William 

 Turner %, the length extending from the alveolar point to a 



* "Instructions Craniologiques et Cranionietriques," 1875, and '• Anthropologic," 

 Topinard. 



+ " Osteology of the Maori and Moriori," Scott. Trans. N.Z. Institute. 1S93. 

 X Challenger reports, vol, x. 



