THE BONES. 37 



ferent individuals. There are also national peculiarities in the form 

 of the head, constituting a well-marked- national feature. Thus the 

 Caucasian race, to whom we belong, is distinguished by the beau- 

 tiful oval form of the head. To this race the most civilized nations 

 belong, and those which have ruled over the others. The Mongo- 

 lian race, which inhabits China and Japan, is known by its promi- 

 nent cheek-bones, flat face, narrow and oblique eyes, straight and 

 black hair, thin beard, and olive complexion. 



The negro race has a compressed skull and a flattened nose, a 

 prominent mouth, and thick lips ; thus bearing some resemblance 

 in features to the monkey tribe. The North American Indian has a 

 very singular shaped head ; it being high from the ear upward, and 

 short from the front to the back. The forehead is not as largely de- 

 veloped as in the Caucasian. The head of the Hindoo is much 

 smaller than that of the European, while that of the New-Hol- 

 lander is but little superior to that of the ourang outang, who roams 

 the same forests with himself. The New Zealanders have heads 

 nearly as large as the European ; but the forehead is low, and the 

 great preponderance of size is in the back part of the head. 



The heads of the ancient Egyptians, as appears from an exa- 

 mination of mummies, closely resembled in shape and size those of 

 modern Europeans. Some of our North American Indians are in 

 the habit of flattening their heads by binding a piece of board on 

 the fore as well as back part of the head, in infancy. From this 

 custom, one tribe among the Rocky Mountains has received the 

 name of Flat Head Indians. The Choctawtribe were formerly in 

 the habit of flattening their heads in the same way ; but for some 

 years past they have discontinued the practice. The heads of the 

 different European nations differ somewhat from each other ; but a 

 common type characterizes them all. 



Not only the size, but the texture of skulls among different na- 

 tions varies. The grain of the New Holland skulls is extremely 

 rough and coarse ; that of the Hindoos, fine, smooth, and compact, 

 more closely resembling ivory. The Swiss skulls are open and soft 

 in the grain, while the Greek are closer and finer. It has been sug- 

 gested that there may possibly be a corresponding quality of brain 

 in the individuals, which may influence the mental, and conse- 

 quently the national character. This difference is generally attri- 

 buted to the effects of temperament. In my Anatomical Museum 

 I have the models of twenty-five different heads of races, each hav- 



