94 Original Articles. [Jan. 
velopment of the latter. I have seen frontal sinuses extending to 
nearly the origin of the outer orbital processes, and almost large 
enough, even at their termination, to admit the small finger to be in- 
serted into them, yet the brow-ridges were not particularly prominent. 
But whether the Neanderthal sinuses extend the whole length of the 
brow-ridges, or they are simply confined to the region of the glabella, 
their large size, in either case, is unusual in man, and they more strongly 
approach to, or resemble, as the case may be, those of the Gorilla. 
As to the excessive prominency of the brow-ridges,—instead of re- 
garding this feature as having been produced by the frontal sinuses, — 
there is more probability that, like the other extraordinary “ elevations 
and depressions ”.,of the skeleton, pointed out by Schaafthausen, it 
is another speciality consequent on the greatly developed muscular 
system, which, from what has already been stated, evidently cha- 
racterized the so-called Neanderthal man. 
The orbital cavities appear to have had a circular rim, as in cer- 
tain apes, there being no angle in that part joining the glabella. This 
is a feature unknown in any of the human races: in them the orbits 
are always subquadrate.* 
The roof of the orbital cavities is altogether less concave, par- 
ticularly on the outer side, than in Man; and, although the inner ex- 
tremity of the plate forming the roof is broken off, sufficient remains 
to show that the cavities contracted sooner than usual. The cavities 
also appear to have been uncommonly divergent: if this were actu- 
ally the case, its significance would point towards one of the spe- 
cialities of the Gorilla. 
Temporals.—As already stated, only the impression of the upper 
squamosal is seen on the parietals; but it suffices to show, as pointed 
out by Huxley, that this part had a comparatively low arcuation: 
the highest point of the arch reaches little more than half the height 
it attains in ordinary human skulls. Besides occurring among apes, 
an equally low arcuated squamosal distinguishes the human fcetus ; 
and in some savage races—Australians and Africans—the same part 
is also depressed, but not so much as in the fossil. The Engis and 
Borreby skulls are strictly normal in this particular. 
* Tn some apes the rim of the orbits is of the human form. 
+ Under this head may be noticed a part which appears to have been over- 
looked in the fossil. On an excellent cast, supplied by Mr. Gregory, of Golden- 
square, London, there occurs on the right side and in front of the squamosal 
impression a raised flattened plate, which looks like the upper portion of the 
alisphenoid (see Plate I. Fig. 1, b): the forward situation of this plate prevents 
it being taken for the anterior part of the temporal; besides, its posterior side 
exhibits what appears to be the impression of the squamosal. The anterior 
margin of the supposed alisphenoid is about an inch behind the outer orbital 
process. Dr. Knox long ago pointed out in a Tasmanian skull a square-shaped 
bone, nearly an inch in extent, interposed between the alisphenoid and the parietal. 
I perceive that this abnormality in a Tasmanian skull is represented in Fig. 225 
of the beautiful edition, just published by Renshaw, of Dr. Knox’s translation of 
Milne-Edwards’ ‘Manuel de Zoologie.’ I have also seen the same bone, but only 
on the ‘left side, of an “Australian” skull belonging to the Dublin University 
Museum. Perhaps this interposed bone corresponds, in nature as well as situation, 
to the flattened plate observable in the Neanderthal fossil. 
