EXPRESSIOK BY MEASUREMENTS. 279 



Here it is obvious that the great German craniologist undertook the 

 same problem of ethnical classification which, in our introductory re- 

 marks, has been applied in theory to an early frontier cemetery of the 

 New World. But the problem becomes enormously complicated, when 

 brought to the test in some great common bivouac of the nations, such 

 as Paris has been through so many centuries, to Graulish, Roman, Me- 

 rovingian and Carlovingian Frank, Norman, and English occupants. 

 Though the predominance of the Celtic element in the modern French 

 is universally admitted, Paris is the least likely to yield evidence of its 

 persistency; and reasoning a priori, it would be difficult indeed to 

 determine the probable classification of any chance skull recovered 

 from the Parisian Catacombs. 



On what principle Dr. Spurzheim and his disciple did determine the 

 celticity of these Parisian Crania I failed to ascertain. The interval 

 which had elapsed since Dr. Adam pursued his cranial and phrenologi- 

 cal investigations, under such a mentor, had greatly cooled his ardour; 

 and the note with which he accompanied the gift of his elaborate tables 

 of measurements, after discussing other subjects of mutual interest, 

 concludes with the remark : " You are welcome to light your fire with 

 all about the Parisian Catacombs." Aware, however, of my friend's 

 painstaking and accurate habits of observation, and the peculiarly 

 favourable opportunities he enjoyed for such investigations, I carefully 

 preserved the fruits of his labours as an interesting contribution to 

 minute craniomety. He remarks of them : '' The series of external 

 measurements of Parisian crania were taken from skulls selected by 

 Dr. Spurzheim, from a number in the museum of the University, as 

 most illustrative of the Celtic French head. They will show you, I 

 think, every possible measurement of the human cranium. In regard 

 to the phraseology: in one respect, like Professor Owen, I had thebenefit 

 of the instructions of Dr. Barclay,- and also of Mr. Abernethy. The 

 side-numbers refer to the crania themselves, in the University museum. 

 So far as appeared, precision could be attained only by referring every 

 dimension to the compression of the zygoma, the measurement being 

 seven-eighths of what I consider the normal transverse of at least the 

 Caucasian cranium, — that is half the length of the head, — the long 

 admitted statuary scale." 



It thus appears that, in aiming at an exhaustive system of craniometry, 

 Dr. Adam combined the practical experience of Dr. Spurzheim with 

 the teachings of the eminent Scottish anatomist, Dr. John Barclay, and 



