112 



Descriptions and Measurements of Some Maori 

 and Moriori Crania. 



So few Maori and Moriori skulls being available for 

 measurement in the Tasmanian Museum, the value of this 

 paper, outside its use as a Museum record, must lie in its 

 beiuu r comparable with the tables of other craniologists. It 

 is for this reason I have followed closely the system used by 

 Professor Scott in preparing bis paper on " The Osteology 

 of the Maori and Moriori," read before the Otago Institute 

 in 1893. I have been compelled to omit the " facial angle " 

 for want of a suitable goniometer, but have added several 

 projections, taken with Topinard's " craniophore," and from 

 these I have, by trigonometrical calculations, arrived at the 

 angles of prognathism. The important measurement of 

 capacity was taken at least twice on each skull — once by 

 myself, and again by Dr. Clarke, of Hobart. The system of 

 Sir William Turner was carefully followed, excepting that, 

 not being able to procure a two litre measure, I used a one 

 litre graduated glass. Of the Maori skulls measured, three 

 were male and one female ; and of the Moriori, two were male 

 and one sex uncertain. No. 5, which I have classed amongst 

 the Moriori, is marked on its label, " Maori," but I think 

 this is an error, for it presents all the features of the Moriori 

 skull as described by Sir William Turner and Professor 

 Scott, and certainly differs very much from the four preceding 

 crania. No. 7 is marked " female " on its label, but I am 

 inclined to think it is "male." It appears on the table as 

 doubtful. 



Description. 



Cranial Vault — Maori. — Viewed from above, Nos. 1 and 2 

 are quite oval, No. 3 is rounded, and No. 4 obovate. This 

 last presents the roof-like shape so frequently met with in 

 New Zealand crania, and, owing to the prominence of the 

 parietal eminences, is distinctly pentagonal viewed from 

 behind. The forehead is rather high in every case, thus 

 distinguishing them from the Moriori skulls. In No. 2 a 

 hollow is formed just above the superciliary ridges by the 

 projection of the glabella and the frontal eminences. In 

 No. 1 the glabella is prominent, and in the remaining three 

 well marked. The zygomatic arches of the first three skulls 

 are plainly visible from above, while the fourth is crypto- 

 zygous. The obelion is depressed in Nos. 2 and 4. The 

 greatest width is at the squamosals on No. 1, and the 

 parietal s on Nos. 2, 3, and 4. No. 1 rests upon the mastoid 

 processes ; No. 2 upon the mastoid processes and the con- 

 ceptacular region ; No. 3 upon the conceptacular region and 

 one of the mastoid processes ; No. 4 upon one of the condyles^ 

 one of the mastoids, and the conceptacular region. 



