NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 275 



ceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Zoology, although 

 Klaatsch, in 1899, does not seem to have recognised this {cf. Mittheil- 

 tmge7i der Anthropologisrhen Gesellschaft in Wien, Band xxx. No. 1, 

 Sitzungsberichte, s. 89). I think the conclusion that is best justified 

 by the facts is this — viz., that Pithecanthropus eredus furnishes us with 

 a likeness, if not a facsimile, of a phase in the evolution of the human 

 form from that of a generalised primate mammal, and a phase, 

 moreover, which is nearer the terminal human stage than that 

 shown by any other primate form, whether anthropoid or lower, and 

 whether recent or extinct. 



In concluding this notice of Dr Bumviller's work, the fullest tribute 

 to the author's industry and energy must be paid, and the dissertation 

 must be regarded as worthily maintaining the reputation of the Munich 

 Anthropological Institute and its director, Professor Ranke. 



W. H. L. D. 



III. 



De Birkner has made a very useful contribution to the subject of 

 dwarfishness, or, if the adaptation may be permitted, of Nanism. His 

 observations were made on dwarfs from Burmah and from Ceylon. 

 He makes out a good case in support of his proposition to the 

 effect that there must be distinguished varying degrees of dwarfish- 

 ness, or what may be styled total nanism and partial nanism ; the 

 essential difference between the total and partial forms consisting 

 in the fact that true (total) dwarfs possess, in respect of limbs and 

 trunk, the proportions obtaining in adults of normal size ; whereas, in 

 the partial or pseudo dwarfs (partial nanism), the trunk is relatively 

 longer and the legs proportionately shorter than in normal adults ; 

 herein dwarfs of the latter class retain the infantile proportions. 



Dr Birkner suggests that the so-called dwarf races will, when such 

 a discriminating investigation is brought to bear on their physical pro- 

 portions, present us with examples of each class ; and he surmises that 

 the Asiatic pygmies may very probably fall into the category of partial 

 dwarfs. ^ 



Similar investigations must also be instituted in the case of the 

 pygmy individuals, on the occurrence of which a theory as to the 

 former peopling of Europe by a pygmy stock of mankind has been 

 advanced, before that view can be adopted as reasonably probable. 



W. H. L. D. 



IV. Studies in Cranial Variation. By Frank Russell, Lecturer in 

 Physical Anthropology, Harvard College, Mass. Reprint from 

 the American Naturalist, vol. xxxiv. No. 405, Sept. 1900. 



Dr Russell has, in the above essay, published the results of a statis- 

 tical inquiry into the frequency of occurrence of certain cranial 

 characteristics ; the material utilised consisting of nearly two thousand 

 crania in the Peabody Museum at Harvard University. Attention 



