6o8 



NA TURE 



[October 17, 1S95 



nasal iKines almost recall those of the negro ; the nasal index 

 being as high, respectively, as 542 and 563. These are both 

 feminine-looking heads, and one of them is the most and the 

 other the least deformeil of the set. Whether this form of nose 

 is met with in any other undoubtedly al original American 

 crania, is subject for investigation, .\part from these, the skulls 

 are remarkably like the majority of those which I have seen 

 of I'cruvians, Mexicans, and the ancient moimd-builders of the 

 I'nited States 



Of lower jaw s there are in all twenty-two, a number which 

 indicates that many of the crania must now be missing from the 

 collection. They are interesting as showing age, and pecu- 

 liarities of dentition ; nineteen are adults, and three young. 

 The youngest has the milk teeth only — the first permanent molar, 

 and first incisors being just alxnit to appear (about six years old). 

 One is a little older, the first molar being fully in place with 

 the two milk molars. Another has all the permanent teeth in 

 place, except the last molars (wisdom teeth), which are still in 

 their alvetili. 



In all the others the permanent teeth ap|>ear to have been 

 fully in place, but the number of hisses sustained during life is 

 remarkable. -\s so many of the teeth have dropped out since 

 death, it is mainly by the condition of the alveoli tliat their pre- 

 sence or absence during life can 1k> judged of, for in only two or 

 three do all appear to have Injen retained. Two are absolutely 

 edentulous. In eight, not one of the true molars remain, the 

 whole available dentition being represented by the incisors, and 

 in a few cases by an Isolated c.inineor premolar. Seven had lost 

 one or more of the true molars. .Ml the teeth, except those of 

 the ver)' young individuals, arc much worn, but scarcely any 

 show signs of disease or decay, there lieing only three small 

 carious cavities among them all. Vet the milk molars in both 

 the child's jaws, which were soon to be shed, have their crowns 

 deeply excavated. 



The only dental anomaly is that in one of the skulls the right 

 up|XT wistlnm tooth is placed horizontally, its crown projecting 

 outwards through the surface of the maxillary bone, its lower 

 edge two millimetres alxjve the alveolar border. 



The limb bones indicate an average height rather below the 

 middle size, but, as just stated, I have not yet had time to make 

 accurate measurements and calculations. 



ClaTielts, 7 right, 10 left, all .tdult. Stafiii/n-, all more or less 

 broken; fr.agmenis of 15 right and II left adult, and 1 young. 

 Humeri, right, 5 adult and 2 young; left, 10 adult, i young 

 (not corres|yjnrling with either of those of the opposite side). 

 A'aJii, right, 14 adult, 3 young ; left, 17 adult, I young. U/mc, 

 right, 14 adult, 2 young ; left, 10 adult, i young. Pelvii bones, 

 mostly very fragmenlar)', but showing evidence of at le.ast 9 

 adult males, 5 adult fem.ilcs, and several children. Femora, 

 as with the other long lK)nes, there are very few i^airs, thus 

 showing that there were more individuals ihan the .actual 

 number of bones wouM indicate: right, II adult and 2 young, I 

 nearly full grown, but without epiphyses, i younger ; left, 17 adult 

 and 6 young of various ages, from f|uile small chililrcn upwards. 

 None of these six have corresponding l>ones of theopjxisite side, 

 so there is evidence from the femora of at least 23 individuals. 

 Tihi.t, 18 right and 19 left, all adult. Fibul<r, 12 right and II 

 left arhdt, and 3 yoimg. 



One of the largest f>f the femora has the head greatly enlarged 

 and deformed by chronic rheumatic arthritis. The lower 

 articular surface was mostly broken away, but the (mrlion that 

 remained appeared healthy. 



One of the left tibi;e shows throughout the shaft marked 

 e\idcncc of chronic periostitis, the surface being Ihicketied .ind 

 v,iscular. .\ Ixine of the opposite side, which might have been 

 of the same individual, shows the same condition in a less 

 marked degree. 



These arc the only pathological conditions obsen-ed in any ■■! 

 the I...1H-. 



I hat naturally occurs after the examination of 



. Ilowdid Ihcy gel into the cave? The con- 



DCS, and of the objects which were found with 



i their l>clonging to the native Indian inhabitants, 



1 ,1 . r — . „|,|(-h have licen inlroduceil into the 



iindred years. Ara\eofsuch small 



■ ouM not standuprighl, could scarcely 



lion of such a large number of per.sons. 



"f sepulture, l<ut from its inBcce.s.sible 



re likely lo have lieen a refuge to which 



ind the aged of n tribe had (led forsiifcty, 



lb 



I< n 



and in a vain endeavour 10 escape the horrible massacres by 

 which we know the great bulk of the native population perished, 

 had met a scarcely less miserable fate. ( Uher similar discoveries, 

 which will doubtless lie made in the future, may throw light 

 upon this question, and it is satisfactory lo know that the autho- 

 rities of the Jamaica Instittue are now alive to the importance 

 of carefully examining and preserving all such evidence as may 

 still remain of the ancient history of the island and its inhabi- 

 tants. The communication was illustrated by sketches of the 

 cave, made by Mrs. Frank Cundall. 



ELECTRIFICATION AND DIS ELECTRIFICA- 

 TION OF AIR AND OTHER GASES.' 



% I. TITXrERIMKNTS were made for the purpose of finding 

 an approximation ■ to the amount of electrification 

 communicated to air by one or more electrified needle points. 

 The apparatus consisted of a metallic can 48 cms. high and 

 21 cms. in diameter, supported by i>araflin blocks, and connected 

 to one pair of quadrants of a quadrant electrometer. It had a 

 hole at the toji to admit the electrifying wire, which was 5'3I 

 metres long, hanging vertically within a metallic guard tube. 

 This guard lube was always mejallically connected to the other 

 pair of quadrants of the electrometer and to its case, and to a 

 metallic screen surrounding il. This prevented any external 

 influences from sensibly aflecting the electrometer, such as the 

 working of the electric machine which stood on a shelf 5 metres 

 above it. 



§ 2. The experiment is conducted as follows : — One terminal 

 of an electric machine is connected with the guard tube, and the 



PARAFF(I>£ 



HO. 1355, vol.. 52] 



RARAFFINE 

 h'u.. I,— CuiincclcU with Kuard Hcrccn (not shown in (liagrani). 



other with the electrifying wire, which is let down so that 

 needle is in ihe lentre of the can. The can is lempoiarily 

 connected lo the i'a.se of the electromcler. The electric 

 machine is then worked for some minutes, so as to electrify the 

 air in the can. As .soon as the machine is stoppcil the electrifyf 



I Alnlracl of a piiper, by I,ord Kelvin, M.iKnii<<^ Maclean, and Alexander 1 

 (iail, read l>cfDre .Section A of ihc Hriti.Hh Association. ] 



