302 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[bull. 52 



nothing in support of and much against any great antiquity of the 

 Miramar specimen. Such deformation connects it, as do also its 

 mam morphologic features (see p. 300), with an imperfectly-known 

 native group of the Argentine coast, some living remnants of wliich 

 have apparently persisted at Viedma and north of Necochea to rela- 

 tively modern if not to historic times. 



The original form of the IMiramar skull, which is plainl}^ determinablej 

 was dolichocephalic. The principal measurements are: Diameter an- 

 tero-posterior maximum, 19.2 cm. and diameter lateral maximum, 

 13.1 cm.; but the latter, as mentioned above, is surely somewhat 

 diminished by the posthumous compression. The height of the 

 vault, from the line connecting the auditory canals, to bregma, can 

 not be accurately determined, but was slightly in excess of 12 cm.* 

 These measurements, either singly or collectively, are in no way 

 extraordinary compared with those of some modern doliclioce])halic 

 Indian crania, especially with some that have suffered a similar kind 

 and grade of deformation. And as will be seen from the table below 

 they approximate quite closely to those presented by the brownish- 

 black crania brought by the writer from near Viedma and showing 

 (with one exception) the same kind of deformity. 



Fossil-like skulls from near Viedma 



• Lehmann-Nitsche gives 12.3 cm. The basion-bregma height in undeformed doliciioccphalic Indian 

 crania is from 7 to 12 mm. greater than that between the floor of the meatus line and bregma; in deformed 

 skulls the range of variation is still more extensive. 



2 Approximate. 



