266 NOTE ON THE SUPPOSED DISCOVERY OF REMAINS, ETC, 



Professor Ounninghara illustrates liis reasoning by sketclies 

 of the relative form, outline and capacity of the Java craniuin 

 and those of two other fossil human crania (the Spy cranium 

 No. 1, the INeanderthal cranium), and that of an average 

 adult woman, and shows that the Java cranium is of a lower 

 type and smaller capacity tlian either of these fossil speci- 

 mens ; for while the Neanderthal cranium has a capacity of 

 1,200 centimetres, that of the Java cranium has only a 

 capacity of about 1,000. When compared with the capacity 

 of the average European, the difference is still more striking, 

 this being 1,400-1,500. The Java cranium is therefore 

 undoubtedly one of a very low order ; but its capacity is 

 still very much in excess of that of the ape.* 



Notwithstanding, however, this low capacity of the Java 

 cranium. Dr. Cunningham has no hesitation in pronouncing 

 that it belonged undoubtedly to a human being as is borne 

 out by its form, and by the capacity itself, which in man falls 

 as low as 1,000 as a minimum. The same is true as regards 

 the femur; and he states that "most certainly they were not 

 derived from any transition form between any of the existing 

 anthropoid apes and man." The " missing link " therefore 

 still remains undiscovered. 1 should add that a reviewer 

 {Geological Mag., 1895, p. 132) considers from the description 

 and photographic illustrations the cranium is that of a man, 

 " suffering from disease which caused the sutures of the skull 

 to close prematurel}^ giving rise to a microcephalus condition, 

 and giving rise to the irregular outgrowths of bone on the 

 femur," — and he considers the evidence from tlie remains 

 quite insufficient to establish the conclusion tliat the individual 

 constituted a link between man and apes. 



[A bi'ief discu.ssion of a general character then took place, after 

 which a paper on " The Physical Characters and Affinities of the 

 Gnanches, or Extinct People of the Canary Islands," by Sir J. W- 

 Dawson, C.M.G., F.R.S., \Yas read. This latter will appear as soon 

 as the discussion is perfected.] 



Professor E. Hull, LL.D., writes — 4th June, 1896— to say that 

 Professor 0. C. Marsh {Journal of Science for June, 1896) differs 

 from Professor Cunning-liame, basing his opinion on the form of 

 one tooth, a molar, with diverging roots— a simian feature — but 

 this too^h was only " supposed but not proved to belong to the 

 skull." 



* The capacity of the normal cranium of man is about 55 cubic inches , 

 that of the chimpanzee, 27|, and that of the orang 26 inches. 



