334 



MENTAL FACULTIES. 



by the wide separation between the two tables of the skull, and is 

 necessarily no index of the size of the brain. Yet, from this cause, 

 perhaps, the owl was chosen as an emblem of the goddess of wisdom ; 

 and the elephant has received a name in the Malay language, indicating 

 an opinion, that he is possessed of reason. The following .table exhibits 

 the facial angle in man and certain animals, taken by a line drawn 

 parallel to the floor of the nostrils, and meeting another, drawn from 

 the greatest prominence of the alveoli of the upper jaw to the promi- 

 nence of the forehead: 



Man . 

 Sapajou . 

 Ourang-outang 

 Guenon . 

 Mandril . 

 Coati 



68 to 88 or more 

 65 



56 or 58 

 57 



30 to 42 

 28 



Polecat 

 Pug dog 

 Mastiff 

 Hare 

 Ram 

 Horse , 



31 

 35 

 41 

 30 

 30 

 23 



The facial angle may, then, exhibit the difference between man and 

 animals; and, to a certain extent, between the species or individuals 

 of the latter; but, farther, it is of little or no use. 1 In man, it may be 

 considered to vary from 70 to 85 in the adult; but in children it 

 reaches as high as 90 and upwards; a sufficient proof, that it cannot 

 be regarded as a measure of the intellect. In the European, it has 

 been estimated, on the average, at perhaps, 80, in the Mongol, 75, 

 and in the negro, 70, not many degrees above the Sapajou. 2 



The following table, drawn up from the average of actual measure- 

 ments of the skulls of different races and families of man, in the col- 

 lection of Dr. Morton, 3 will afford more precise information on this 

 matter. 



Arab (2 cases) 



European and Anglo-American 

 Egyptian .... 

 Bengalee .... 

 Circassian .... 

 Sandwich Islander (one case) 

 Chinese (one case) 

 Guanche (one case) 

 Negro .... 



Indian .... 



Hottentot (one case) 

 Peruvian .... 

 Malay .... 



FACIAL ANGLE. 



Average. Highest. Lowest. 



82 



80 



79-3 



79-3 



78-5 



78 



78 



77 



76-8 



76-1 



75 



74-9 



74-6 



38 

 85 

 86 

 83 

 81 



83 



SI 



82 



76 



77 

 73 

 76 

 75 



69 



70 



68 

 69 



It is found, that the skulls of different nations, and of individuals of 

 the same nation, may agree in the facial angle, whilst there may be 

 striking distinctions in the shape of the cranium and face, in the air 

 and character of the whole head ; as well as in the particular features, 

 the inclination of the facial line being more dependent on the promi- 

 nence of the upper jaw and frontal sinuses than on the general form of 



1 Dr. Morton, in his splendid work, Crania Americana, Philad., 1839, describes a "Facial 

 Goniometer," originally suggested by Dr. Turnpenny, of Philadelphia, which is admirably 

 adapted for measuring the facial angle. 



2 Prichard's Physical History of Mankind, i. 288, 3d edit., Lond., 1836. 



3 Catalogue of Skulls of Man, &c., 3d edit., Philad., 1849. 



