218 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[October 2, 1899. 



wool 



holes which open into the interior ; cotton 

 modelling clay may be used for this purpose. 



A variety of methods have been adopted to determine 

 the cranial capacity. They all have certain advantages 

 and disadvantages. The ideal method, of course, would 

 be to fill the interior of thecalvaria with fluid introduced 

 through the foramen magnum, and then measure the 

 amount of liquid contained : but this is open to grave 

 objection on account of the difficulty of making the skull 

 water-tight. Of recent years, an ingenious way of over- 

 coming this difliculty has been introduced. A fine 

 bladder is introduced into the inside of the calvaria, and 

 into this the fluid is poured. We are unable, however, 

 to speak from experience as to whether this arrange- 

 ment is satisfactory or no. Of other plans adopted, 

 the most common are those in which small shot (No. S 

 for preference), small glass beads, or fine seeds of 

 various kinds are used. Simple though it appears to 

 measure skulls in this way, by pouring in shot and then 

 pouring it out again, and taking its cubage, it requires 

 very considerable experience before any degree of accu- 

 racy can be attained. The utmost care must be taken 

 to use the same measures and funnels into which and 

 through which the shot is poured. The height from 

 which the shot is poui-ed must always be the same, 

 and precisely the same manipulations must be employed 

 in " packing " the shot in each case, else very consider- 

 able differences in the measurements will be the 

 result. Adopting some such method, and it is of ad- 

 vantage to use that most commonly employed, viz., that 

 recommended by Broca, as the results are then com- 

 parable with other observations, it bas been found that 

 the cranial capacity in man ranges from 1000 cubic 

 centimetres to 1800 c.c. Comparing this with what 

 we observe in apes, we find that the man with the 

 lowest capacity, viz., 1000 c.c, has a capacity twice 

 that of the highest apes, for in gorillas we find a capacity 

 of only .500 c.c. or thereabouts, whilst orangs and chim- 

 panzees are considerably lower, with capacities of 

 430 c.c. and 420 c.c. respectively, though one must not 

 overlook the fact that their body weight is much less 

 than that of the gorilla. 



For convenience of classification, calvaria are grouped 

 according to their capacities. Those with a capacity 

 below 1350 c.c. are termed microcephalic, those between 

 1350 c.c. and 1450 c.c. are mesocephalic, whilst those of 

 1450 c.c. are called megacephalic. 



The first group (microcephalic) include Australians, 

 Tasmanians, aborigines of India, Veddahs, Bushmen, 

 Hottentots, Andamanese, Akkas, and other pigmy races. 

 The mesocephalic comprise Malays, American Indians, 

 and African Negroes; whilst the megacephalic races are 

 composed of Europeans, ancient Egyptians, Mongolians, 

 mixed Polynesians, Eskimo, Kaffirs, and Zulus. 



In considering the question of cranial capacity the 

 matter of sex must not be omitted. The average differ- 

 ence between the male and female capacities is 150 c.c. — 

 the male having the advantage. The fact, however, must 

 not be overlooked that women are not so tall as men, and 

 therefore we would not expect them to have such large 

 heads ; but even making allowance for the difference m 

 height the female capacity is still relatively less than that 

 of man. The average weight of man's brain is about fifty 

 ounces, that of woman about forty-five ounces. This 

 difference between the sexes is less marked in savage than 

 in civilized races, and is apparently explained by the fact 

 that in the higher races more attention is paid to the 

 education of the male than the female, and, consequently, 

 the brain is stimulated to increased growth. It will be 



interesting to note whether in view of the recent develop- 

 ments in the education of women she will be able to 

 equalise matters as regards her fair share of brains. It is 

 hardly necessary to point out that quantity is no criterion 

 of quality, and though the brains of many distinguished 



Fia. 1 displays the differences in size and cranial capacity met with 

 in Skulls. A is a large English Skull, with a cranial capacity of 1680 c.c. ; 

 it is, therefore, megacephalic. b is a G-ernian Skull, with a cranial 

 capacity of 1400 c c. ; it is, therefore, mesocephalic. c is the SkuU of 

 an Andaman Islander, with a cranial capacity of 1040 c. c. ; therefore 

 microcephalic. 



I men have weighed much above the average ( that of Cuvier 

 weighed sixty-four ounces), there are abundant examples 

 of equally weighty brains the possessors of which were not 

 characterised by wits above the common herd. For our 

 part we would rather that women remained as they are, 

 for a small and shapely head is a feature of feminine 

 beauty, and what they lack in quantity they may well 

 make up in quality. 



But apart from the mere size of the cranium we have to 

 consider its shape. If a number of skulls be taken and 

 placed on the floor so that we can look down upon them, 

 we will at once realize that they display a great diversity 

 of form, provided always that we are dealing with mixed 

 groups : some are long and narrow, whilst others are broad 

 and rounded. We hardly need to make this observation 

 to bring the fact home to us, it is only necessary to remind 



