NATURE 



\Jan. 8, 1880 



regards the dimensions of the cranium, is prognathous, 

 platyrhine, and microseme in the measurements of the 

 face'. The now extinct Tasmanian race was, like the 

 Australian, prognathous, platyrhine, microseme, micro- 

 cephalic, but in the relations of the length to the breadth 

 of the cranium not dolichocephalic but mesaticcphalic, 

 i.e. between dolichocephalic and brachycephalic. The 

 Bushmen, whilst mesaticephalic, platyrhine, microseme, 

 microcephalic, arc, as regards the upper jaw, not progna- 

 thous, but orthognathous. The Bush crania differ in an 

 important manner from their near geographical neigh- 

 bours the Kaffirs and Zulus, which, though platyrhine in 

 their nasal relations, are dolichocephalic and megacephahc 

 cranial dimensions, mesognathous as regards the 

 projection of the upper jaw and mesoseme in their orbital 

 dimensions. The skulls of the African Negroes are doli- 

 chocephalic, mesocephalic, prognathous, platyrhine, and 

 mesoseme ; whilst the Andamanese, of which the Museum 

 possesses a remarkably good series, are brachycephalic, 

 microcephalic, mesognathous, mesorhine, and megasemc. 

 As regards the Australian and the dark races with frizzly 

 hair dolichocephalism and prognathism, with small or 

 moderate cranial capacities prevail, except in the Bush- 

 men and the Andamanese. The prevailing characteristics 

 of the races inhabiting Europe, North Africa, and South- 

 West Asia are a moderate latitudinal index, a moderate 

 orbital index, a low alveolar index, a low nasal index, and 

 :i high cerebral capacity. In the Mongoloid races again 

 the orbital index is usually high, the cranial capacity 

 variable, whilst in its dimensions the skull ranges from 

 brachycephalism in the Siberians and Peruvians to ex- 

 treme dolichocephalism in the Eskimo. The jaw may be 

 either orthognathous or prognathous. 



The study of this Catalogue is essential to all who are 

 interested in physical anthropology, but more especially 

 to those who may be engaged in working with the cranio- 

 logical collection in the Museum of the Royal College of 

 Surgeons of England. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 

 , Life-. (Glasgow: Maclehose, 1879.) 



This is a volume of poems intended to picture various 

 phases of Scottish village life. It is beyond our province 

 to criticise the quality of the poetry, but it deserves some 

 notice at our hands for the prominence given throughout 

 to the most recent scientific doctrines, especially that of 

 evolution. With the latest teachings of science in this 

 direction the author appears to be thoroughly acquainted, 

 as is evidenced especially in the two poems on "The 

 Schoolmaster" and "The Doctor." It seems to us a 

 noteworthy fact in the progress of science that its latest 

 developments should form so prominent a feature in a 

 work so purely literary, as a series of poems. The author 

 himself, while he has evidently a tenderness for the old 

 beliefs and bygone customs, still, cannot help showing 

 how strong is his leaning to the revelations of the science 

 of to-day. We venture to think that the anonymous 

 author's presentation of the latest results of scientific 

 ition ought to reassure those who dread that 

 science and poetry cannot co-exist, that the spread of 

 science and the increase of scientific knowledge will 

 leave no room for the exercise of the poet's fancy. II 

 ignorance is a necessary condition for the exercise of 

 this function, it is quite safe to predict that there is no 

 chance of the poet's occupation ever being gone. Let 

 us suggest to the author of the "Village Life," as a 



subject to try the mettle of his fancy and the extent of 

 his knowledge, the "Lake Dwellers." We think the 

 present volume is likely to afford a quiet pleasure to 

 many readers, and as a specimen of the versification 

 and to show how clearly and musically the author can 

 put a puzzling problem, we give the following quotation 

 from the poem on "The Doctor": — 



" Search as we may, no trace is found 



Of how the man-ape was transformed 



Into the man with speech and creed ; 



We know not how he sheet his hair, 



Or shortened his fore limbs and rise 



On back-bone straight, with head thrown back, 



With arched foot, and supple knee ; 



Or by what process came the hue 



Of his now soft and hairless skin, 



Its brown, its red, its jetty black, 



Its yellow, and the tints between ; 



Or how the straight and flattened nose, 



Developed from the monkey's face, 



The jaw prognathous, square or thin ; 



And above all how speech began — 



How first the inarticulate, 



Long-armed, broad-chested, roaring clan 



Of men-apes, out of shouts and cries, 



Formed syllables and meaning words ; 



How, from the jarring harsh discords 



Of brutal sounds there broke instead, 



Liquid utterances, replies, 



Sweet conversation, grave debate ? — 



A vast development, so great 



And splendid that the tail-less ape 



At once became the planet's lord, 



A god in reason, as in shape. 



The Doctor hoped that searchers keen, 

 find before the glacial age 

 Some traces of an earlier stage — 

 Man Pliocene or Miocene — 

 A skull, or skeleton that showed, 

 The type improving from the ape ; 

 Some form revealing how a broad 

 Divergence intellectual, 

 May come from trifling change of shape ; 

 That showed complete, a reason why 

 The glorious art of speech aro e ; 

 How shortened arm, and thickened thigh, 

 Deepened the chest, enlarged the lung ; 

 The larynx and the mouth and nose 

 Transforming with the breast and brain, 

 Became sonorous, and the tongue 

 Shaped simple words, they grew amain 

 To language musical, and song. 

 But though the search is deep and long, 

 And evolutionists await 

 With eager hope, the early ' brave ' 

 Emerging from the brutal state ; 

 He comes not from his ancient grave ; 

 His grave is lost ; his fossil bones 

 No geologic era owns." 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

 \Thc Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 

 by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or 

 to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts. No 

 notice is taken of anonymous communications. 

 [The Editor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters as 

 short as possible. The pressure on his space is so great that it 

 is impossible otherwise to ensure the appearance even of com- 

 munications containing interesting and novel facts. .] 

 Artificial Diamonds 

 The fate of the Glasgow diamonds, as recorded in Nature, 

 vol. xxi. p. 203, reminds me of an adventure of my own that 

 happened about ten years ago, and is likely to be repeated by 



