248 SIR J. W. DAWSON, C.M.G., F.R.S., ETC., ON SPECIMENS 



wide interval, and indeed distinguish markedly these primitive 

 men from any modern races known to me. These characters 

 are Avell illustrated by Pruner Bey, Quatrefages. and Christy 

 and Lartet, and we cannot doubt that, with the Caustadt, 

 Neanderthal, Spy, and Grenelle remains allied to them in 

 some respects, though exaggerating some of their peculiarities, 

 this group of peoples, contemporary with the mammoth and 

 Tichorhine rhinoceros in Western Europe, stands by itself 

 as a race or group of races markedly disthict from those of 

 later periods. The solitary skull from Truchere referred by 

 Quatrefages to the Palanthropic period, is the only one of 

 that age which can bear any proper comparison witli such 

 remains as those of the Guanches. 



On the other hand our Guanche skulls may be better com- 

 pared with those of the so-called "Neolithic" age in Europe, the 

 men of the polished stone and early bronze ages, of the long 

 barrows and cromlechs, and of the Swiss lake habitations, as 

 well as with the Iberian races of France and Spain and the 

 Berbers of North Africa. The crania of these races, as 

 tabulated by Quatrefages,* are those which most nearly 

 approach to our specimens from the Canaries, and their arts 

 and habits and state of civilization in early times are also 

 those which afford the best terms of comj^arison. 



It may be useful to illustrate these points by the following 

 measurements of the whole series of Palanthropic crania 

 from Europe in our collection, in comparison with those of 

 the Guanches : — 



It will bo seen that all the old cavern skulls are larger 

 than those of the Guanches and that four of them are 

 remarkable for their great length. Some of the older skulls 

 are also noteworthy for the elongated form of the orbits, the 

 peculiar vertical ridge on the frontal bone, the prominent 



* The Human Species. 



