IN THE PETEE KEDPATH MUSEUM OF MCGILL UNIVEESITy, ETC. 261 



A detailed account of the face-bones would be interesting — ■ 

 indicating the length of the face, the orbito-nasal angle or ]30sition 

 of the face relatively to the anterior fossa of the base of the skull, 

 and the shape of the nares. Most of all one would like some 

 precise measurements bearing on the question of savagery or 

 refinement. I hold, as I put forward in the Philosophical Trans- 

 actions twenty-five years ago, that bearing on this question there 

 are two points of much importance, namely, the position of 

 greatest breadth, and the length of the base-line from the back 

 of the foramen magnum to the fronto-nasal suture. Savage races 

 are liable to have the zygomatic breadth equal to or greater than 

 the cranial breadth, and to have the position of the greatest 

 cranial breadtli high up on the parietals ; and a greater length of 

 base-line from the back of the foramen magnum is found among 

 savages than is ever found in civilised forms, a circumstance 

 exceedingly interesting as showing that civilisation never 

 lengthens the base, however much it may inflate the arch of the 

 skull. 



It is interesting to note that the zygomatic breadth is obviously 

 less than the greatest breadth of the cranium in both the skulls 

 photographed, and I suppose that it is to this character that 

 the author refers when he states that the cheek-bones are not 

 unduly prominent ; for prominence forwards of the cheek-bones 

 is a feature giving character not at all of a debased kind, 

 while zygomatic breadth depends on development of muscles of 

 mastication. Another noticeable point is that in both the skulls 

 photographed the mental prominence or chin, a purely physiog- 

 nomical decoration, is well developed. This, together with, the 

 orthognathous dentition, is confirmatory of Sir William Dawson's 

 view that these Guanche skulls are of a more refined type than is 

 usual among barbarous peoples. Carefully made vertical sections 

 would not injure the value of the specimens, and would be of 

 great use in determining the basal characters, both linear measure- 

 ments and angles, without which, as has been pointed out by 

 Professor Huxley as well as by me, the construction of no skull 

 can be adequately known. 



