REVIEWS — CRANIA BRITANNICA. 143 



tains tlie character established by the previous decades. Any critical 

 analysis even of the separate sections of the work, however, must be 

 reserved till its completion ; as, owing to the simultaneous issue of 

 the chapters or sections devoted to the several divisions of the sub- 

 ject, no part of it is yet presented in suc-li a form as fully to develope 

 the authors' views. This is the more apparent from the fact that 

 they have to collect their data as the work proceeds ; and, in the 

 fasiculus just issued, " assistance in the way of additional specimens 

 is still particularly desired — a number of both ancient and modern 

 skulls being of the utmost importance for study and selection." The 

 authors are, in truth, confessedly even now accumulating the requisite 

 materials, and the trustworthy evidence, on which any final opinion 

 is to be based, either by themselves or others ; and they not only 

 withhold their verdict, but delay even the process of induction, until 

 all the proofs are before them. It might, indeed, be a matter of no 

 little interest could we ascertain all the varied phases of opinion 

 through which their minds have passed, since a work was begun 

 which, to them, as well as to their readers, gradually discloses such 

 selected evidence in relation to the physical ethnology of the British 

 Isles. Writing in 1856, Mr. Davis remarks, in the address to the 

 subscribers appended to the first Decade : " To give worth to any 

 deductions which may arise from a general survey of the series of 

 Crania submitted to examination, or to any dissertational matter 

 connected with the inquiry, or growing out of it, a necessity exists 

 for first allowing the greater part of the evidence to be unfolded 

 before both writer and reader. Probably such deductive matter 

 may never be very elaborate, although as precise and complete as the 

 light to be derived from the tomb admits ; still its proper place wiU 

 be at the approaching termination of the work, to accompany the 

 fifth and sixth Decades." This was written in March, 1856, at 

 which date it was farther stated that : " Such arrangements have 

 been made, as, it is expected, will lead to the issue of a Decade every 

 six months till the work is finished." Had such proved to be the 

 ease, we should now have the sixth instead of the third Decade ; but 

 the delays in such a work are equally unforeseen and inevitable, and 

 it can scarcely admit of question that the materials accumulated 

 during the period thus extended will amply atone for the slow pro- 

 gress of the svork towards completion. To the subscribers this will 

 be an unalloyed gain, but to one of the authors, Joseph Barnard 



