1896.] Crania found at Girton in 1881. 113 



In most of these points the skulls found at Girton show a 

 greater resemblance to the Anglian than to the Saxon type. The 

 two main exceptions are the cranial capacity and the orbital 

 index, where they approach the Saxon type : with regard to the 

 capacity, I would say that the mean index given for these Girton 

 skulls is very doubtful. I have been able to take the capacities of 

 no more than four out of these eight skulls, and of these four one 

 is a female skull. The index given is the mean of the three male 

 crania, two of which differ widely from the third, while No. 272, 

 considering it is a female skull, has in reality a very high capacity. 

 It is therefore quite possible, that if there had been more of these 

 skulls at my disposal I should have found the mean index to be, 

 not 1410, but somewhere about 1550. And unsatisfactory also is 

 the orbital index given. In all cases I examined both orbits 

 where it was possible, and the total number examined was ten. 

 Now considering how widely different the indices are, varying 

 from 73'7 to 921, it is obvious that not much stress can be laid on 

 the mean index, which comes to 81'8. 



Taking all in all, then, I think it may be said that these 

 crania belong to the East Anglian and not the Saxon race. 



Before giving the measurements of the various skulls, I may 

 perhaps make a few remarks on the peculiarities of each. 



No. 267. On the right side the Temporal Bone meets the 

 Frontal. The supraorbital notches are extremely large, measuring 

 3 mm. from above downwards and 6 mm. transversely. 



No. 268. Most of the Sagittal Suture is synostosed, and the 

 skull has been posthumously deformed : I have therefore omitted 

 the indices of this skull, when taking the mean indices of the 

 series. 



No. 269. In this female skull the Metopic Suture persists. 



No. 271. This skull belonged to an adult or rather old male: 

 an epactal bone is present. On the top of the cranium in the 

 middle line is to be found an instance of " prehistoric trephining." 

 The hole is just by the bregma. It is of course hard to say with 

 absolute certainty whether this hole owes its origin to primitive 

 surgical skill, or not, but there is no doubt that the hole was 

 made either on purpose or by accident during life, and judging 

 from the edges it seems probable that the individual survived the 

 operation some little time. 



No. 272. Female skull, containing a very large number of 

 Wormian bones. These are to be found in the squamous and 

 lambdoidal sutures of both sides and in the coronal sviture on 

 the left side. Epipteric bones exist on either side and the Metopic 

 Suture persists. 



VOL. IX. PART II. 



