PHYSICAL CHARACTEEISTICS OF PRE-HISTORIC MEN. 181 



with what is known of the functions of the brain, 

 we should infer that a large brain would be cor- 

 related with great muscular energy ; and since 

 experiment shows that the lateral portions of the 

 cerebral hemispheres are those connected with motor 

 nerves influencing the limbs, we might infer that 

 heads relatively broad would indicate active and 

 powerful limbs. Again, since it is probable that the 

 frontal part of the cerebrum is more especially em- 

 ployed in correlating the impressions of the senses 

 with the actions, heads long and prominent in front 

 should be connected with general intelligence. Lastly, 

 as the posterior part of the brain seems to minister 

 more largely to the emotional nature, length posteriorly 

 would indicate active passions and emotions. These 

 criteria, if applied to pre-historic skulls, would indi- 

 cate great cerebral powers of all kinds in the earliest 

 European race, inferior powers, but relatively greater 

 bodily, activity, in the second race. The artificial 

 flattening of the head, if it had any effect on the 

 functions of the brain, would tend to subdue specu- 

 lative and emotional energy, and to develop activity 

 of limb. The distortion of the skull is said not to 

 diminish the intelligence; but Paul Kane* remarks 

 that the infants whose heads are subjected to pres- 

 sure never cry or moan, and seem to be more dull and 

 torpid than usual, which would agree with what is 

 known of the functions of the front and back regions 

 of the head, as above stated. Possibly the accidental 

 * Quoted by Wilson in " Pre-historic Man." 



