CHAP, xiv THE DAVIS COLLECTION 191 



1380 skulls, exclusive of the Davis collection. A 

 great deficiency was thus supplied, and increased 

 opportunities for the study of osteological variations 

 in man was thus afforded, for he never let slip an 

 opportunity of acquiring small private collections of 

 specimens. The greatness of the task which he 

 set himself is shown by the fact that his osteological 

 catalogue contained a list of 1300 skulls, of each of 

 which he had carefully verified the measurements " 

 (Lancet). 



It was also mainly due to him that the College of 

 Surgeons was induced to buy the splendid cranio- 

 logical series collected and scientifically catalogued 

 by Dr. Barnard Davis. In 1878, when the British 

 Association met at Dublin, with Professor Huxley 

 in the chair of the Anthropological Department, 

 Flower read a paper on the Methods and Results of 

 Measurements of Crania. Professor Huxley intro- 

 duced a personal element into the discussion 

 following it, by saying that he was so much struck 

 by Flower's remark, that if he could get his family to 

 consent to the arrangement, he could have his skull 

 for the collection, adding that it would be found to 

 be a very good example of the cranium of the 

 average peace-loving Englishman ! 



For many years Flower steadily advocated the 

 interests of what he thought was a much-neglected 

 science, endeavouring, when opportunity occurred, 

 to explain its object and to popularise it in the best 

 sense. 



