CRANIOMETRY. 81 



ments have been made, and, though interesting, are so 

 variable and uncertain that but little practical importance 

 attaches to them. Some are so wildly extravagant as 

 hardly to reach even the dignity of a speculation. 



It is important to ascertain the capacity of the cranium, 

 and this depends somewhat upon the method employed. 

 The best substances with which to fill the cranium are 

 shot and water; if water is used, it is necessary to adjust 

 a thin, very elastic, and highly distensible gum bag to 

 the interior of the cranium, and then proceed to fill 

 it; the liquid, of course, molds the gum bag accurately 

 to the interior of the cranium. The water is then drawn 

 off and carefully measured. When shot is employed 

 the large openings must be filled with wax, and great 

 care should be taken to allow the shot to roll in very 

 gently, so as to avoid "packing." The capacity of the 

 cranium is, as a general rule, greater in the higher than 

 in the lower races. The female crania of any race are 

 less capacious than the male crania of the same race. 

 The capacity of the crania of the present century is, in 

 all cases where the opportunities for study and comparison 

 exist, larger than the crania of ten or twenty centuries 

 ago. The average capacity is about 94 cubic inches in 

 the superior races, while in 15 Australians it was 65 

 cubic inches.* As a general rule, it may be stated 

 that, the greater the intellectual development of a race, 

 the greater the capacity of the brain-case. The well- 

 formed cranium of the European will measure 7i inches 

 long, 5-| inches broad, and 5i inches in height; in cir- 

 cumference, about 21^ inches. The face presents certain 

 measurements of decided interest. The average breadth 

 of the face of the Briton is about 5 inches, the Hotten- 

 tot averages 4^ inches, and the Chinese 5| inches. The 



*See Morton, " Crania Americana." 

 6 



