18 



an agreement which Avould, I suppose, never have been arrived at 

 had the French and German scientists been left to approach each 

 other. We have now got, therefore, a clear understanding as to 

 what the mysterious words heretofore adopted are exactly to mean 

 in the future. 



It is now defined that when you take the extreme breadth of 

 a skull and divide it by the extreme length, you get for a mean 

 value 75 to 80 (exclusive) per cent., and that is called a 

 mesaticephalic skull. An increase in breadth, giving 30 to near 85 

 as the index, is that of a brachycephalic skull ; while an increase 

 in length, producing 70 to near 75, indicates a dolichocephalic 

 skull. Percentages in stages of 5 are used to mark extreme cases 

 of shortheadedness and longheadedness respectively. Thus, an 

 index of 85 to near 90 is that of a hyperbrachycephalic skull ; and 

 one of 90 to 95 of an ultrabrachycephalic skull; beyond which 

 nothing has yet been imagined : while an index of 65 to near 70 

 is tliat of a hyperdolichocephalic skull ; and one of 60 to near 65 

 that of an ultradolichocephalic skuU ; and longer than that nothing 

 has yet been imagined. 



General Pitt-Rivers, in an account of recent explorations in 

 Wiltshire, has discussed the means of ascertaining the probable 

 stature of a man from the remains of his skeleton. From the coins 

 and other relics discovered, there was little doubt that the remains 

 were those of Britons of the latest period of the Roman dominion, 

 or that which immediately succeeded it. They were found to be a 

 remarkably small race of people. In the two villages at Woodcuts 

 and Rotherley, and in the pit near Park House, their stature did 

 not exceed 5 feet 2 J inches for the males and 4 feet 11 inches for 

 the females. Were they the remnants of a larger race of Britons, 

 deteriorated by slavery and reduced in stature by the drafting of 

 their largest men into the Roman legions abroad ? Of the fifteen 

 skeletons found, one was three inches taller than the tallest of tlie rest, 

 and, in the opinion of both Dr. Beddoe and Dr. Garson, had marked 

 characteristics of Roman origin. His nose was very prominent and 

 aquiline — a Roman nose, in point of fact — his superciligj-y ridges 

 and his chin prominent ; his estimated stature being 5 feet 7|- inches. 

 He had a remarkably brachycephalic skull, his cephalic index 



