ON THE CRANIA HELVETICA. 
BY FREDERICK TROYON. 
To the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution: 
Sir: I take the earliest opportunity of acknowledging, with many thanks, 
the receipt of the publications which you have been so kind as to send me on 
the part of the Smithsonian Institution, namely: 
Smithsonian Report, 1862. 
Ancient Mining on the Shores of Lake Superior. 
Dictionary of the Chinook Jargon. 
Comparative Vecabulary. 
Instructions relative to Ethnology and Philology. 
Annual Report of the Museum of Comparative Zoélogy. 
Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Nos. 69, 70. 
I propose soon to send you the new edition of my work on Lacustrian habi- 
tations, hoping that the copies which I offer will be accepted, not as a requital 
for your favors, but as a slight testimonial of my thanks and my high esteem. 
I know not whether you already possess the work which MM. Rutimeyer 
and His, professors of anatomy at Basle, have recently published on the Crania 
Helvetica. However this may be, I am persuaded that you will not regard as 
inopportune a few observations on the subject of that interesting publication. 
The authors distinguish, in reference as well to ancient as modern times, 
four different types of human skulls, which they designate from the names of 
the localities where the best specimens have occurred, in order not to prejudge 
results or historic questions. These types are those of Sion, in the Valais; of 
Hohberg, in the canton of Soleure; of Bel-Air, in the canton of Vaud; and of 
Disentis, in the Grisons. The following are the figures of these four types re- 
duced to the fourth of their natural size : 
I.—SION TYPE. 
