316 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.87 



Craniometry is far from being simply a mechanical technique. It 

 demands besides this a high degree of trained judgment and experi- 

 ence. Many a specimen is found more or less damaged, or affected by 

 age. Damage of various sorts is particularly frequent in such mate- 

 rials as dealt with here, for they all come from old burials. On this 

 continent, moreover, above any other part of the world, there are the 

 plagues of artificial cranial deformations, and of much wear of teeth. 

 Under all these difficulties the constant endeavor has been to present to 

 those who may need them sound initial data on the complex American 

 craniological conditions. A much more desirable way would be, 

 of course, to offer a thorough study of the materials, but that will 

 require much time and must of necessity be a matter for the future; 

 meanwhile the essentials given in these catalogs may be serviceable. 



To obviate any possible uncertainties as to the methods used, these 

 are herewith briefly described. They apply equally to all the preced- 

 ing numbers of the catalog. Except for a few additional details they 

 are the same as those of the International Agreements and as outlined 

 in my "Anthropometry" ^ and in my "Practical Anthropometry." ^ 



MEASUREMENTS 



Maximum length. — The maximum glabello-occipital diameter of the 

 vault. 



Maximum breadth. — The greatest transverse diameter of the vault 

 above the mastoids and roots of zygomae. 



Basion-bregma height. — Self-explanatory. 



Minimum frontal diameter. — The shortest horizontal diameter 

 between the two temporal crests on the frontal bone. 



Capacity. — See author's Anthropometries. 



Menton-nasion height (or "nasion-menton diameter"). — The distance 

 from men ton to nasion, with the lower jaw in place and the teeth in 

 apposition. Due allowance made for wear of teeth, when present. 



Alveolar poini-nasion height (or ^'naso-alveolar diameter"). — Land- 

 marks: Superiorly — the nasion; inferiorly — the lowest point of the 

 alveolar border between the two median upper incisors. 



Maximum bizygomatic diameter. — Distance between the most 

 widely separated points on the external surface of the zygomatic 

 arches, 



Basio-alveolar diameter. — Distance between the endobasion* and 

 the prealveolar point.^ 



Endobasion-subnasal point diameter. — Distance between endobasion 

 and the left subnasal point.^ 



2 Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, pp. 14, 107 et seq., 1920. 



« Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, 1939. 



« The foremost point on the anterior border of the foramen magnum, within the lumen of the foramen. 



• The foremost point on the upper alveolar arch, above the median incisors. 



« Point laterally just below the lower border of the nasal aperture. 



