BEOTHUK SKULLS PREST. Ixxxix 



No. 1. Adult skull marked No. 6 in the St. John's Museum Collection : 



INCHES. 



Glabella to occipital point 7.425 



Greatest width of skull 5.825 



Bregma to occipital condyle 6.075 



Resulting index, meso-cephalic 78.45 



No. 2. Adult Female (?) : 



INCHES. 



Glabella to occipital point 6.825 



Greatest width of skull 5.600 



Bregma to occipital condyle 5.700 



Resulting index, brachy-cephalic verging on meso-cephalic..80.20 



The measurements in the above instances, although taken without 

 any very elaborate instruments, can not be in error more than -fa of an 

 inch. Another skull and skeleton, almost perfect, want of time 

 prevented me from measuring. It, however, showed features of a 

 decidedly lower type than the others, particularly in the enormous 

 supercilliary ridges and narrow retreating forehead. The nose was 

 extremely aquiline, as were those of the other skulls. It appears to 

 approach the long-headed type more nearly than the others, but measure- 

 ments of such a limited number of skulls cannot be considered as 

 settling or even approximating the question of tribal index. Our chief 

 hope, therefore, lies in the expectation of future explorations of Beothuk 

 burying grounds. That the above skulls are genuine Beothuk remains, 

 I give as authority Mr. Howley, Director of the Geological Survey of 

 Newfoundland, through whose care all the relics of this interesting race 

 are preserved. For further evidence as to their authenticity, I would 

 give the name of Rev. M. Harvey, who discovered skull No. 1 at 

 Pilley's Island, Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland, under circumstances 

 which leave no doubt that it was Beothuk. 



Another Beothuk skull, which I do not think has been measured^ 

 is to be seen at McGill University, Montreal. It was found in 1847 by 

 Rev. Mr. Blackmore, Rural Dean of Conception Bay, on a small island 

 called Rencontre, one of the Lower Burgeo group, on the southern coast 

 of Newfoundland. 



In order to show more fully the position the Beothuks occupied in 

 North America, I may say that the Indians are brachy-cephalic while 

 the Esquimaux are dolicho-cephalic. These are the nearest races the 



