
PERFORATED AND DISTORTED CRANIUM. 39 
ridge is well marked in front and behind, but is only faintly indicated in its 
middle third. On the right side the greater part of the great wing of the 
sphenoid bone is wanting. On both sides its articulations with the frontal 
_ and the squamous portion of the temporal bone are clearly indicated. It 
does not appear to articulate with the parietal bone. The mastoid processes 
are small and infantile in character; and below do not reach to the level of 
the occipital condyles. The digastric grooves are well marked. 
From behind (Fig. 4) the vaulted character of the cranium is well seen. 
The external occipital protuberance is prominent. The region above it is 
raised in an exaggerated dome-like form ; the part below it is of large extent, 
flattened, and directed downwards and backwards. The sutures are practic- 
ally obliterated, and the whole of the surface shows an erosion of the outer 
table of the skull, particularly over the upper portion on the left side. 
The inferior surface (Figs. 7 and 8) shows the remarkably short length of 
the basi-cranial axis of the skull, between the foramen magnum and the 

Fic. 2..-_ANTERIOR Vinw OF THE Eastry CRANIUM. 
glabella (97 mm.) as compared with the total length of the cranium (178 mm.). 
Only the cranial bones are present. The area for attachment of the facial 
bones is extremely small, corresponding to the narrow forehead, shallow and 
small temporal fossie, and infantile mastoid processes. The occipital condyles 
are flat, small, and asymmetrical, and their long axes are more transverse than 
usual. The foramen magnum is normal in size, but irregular and asym- 
metrical in shape. Around its margin posteriorly between each condyle is a 
slightly elevated ridge of bone. In front of each condyle is a similar more 
prominent bar of bone ending anteriorly in a free knob-like extremity, not 
united to the neighbouring piece. The series, together with the condyles, 
have a likeness to the under surface of an atlas, the anterior arches of which 
have not joined together. 
