204 BRAIN-WEiaHT AND SIZE IN RELATION 



eminent surgeon, remarked of tlie former : " The division of tlie 

 cranium behind the meatus auditorius is large in proportion to that 

 situated before it. The skull is also remarkably wide and capacious 

 in that part, whereas the forehead is rather depressed." * Other 

 characteristics so markedly indicate the elements of physical rather 

 than intellectual vigour, that Mr. Listen expressly pointed out the 

 analoo-y to " the heads of carnivorous animals." The Bruce was 

 indeed pre-eminently distinguished for courage and deeds of personal 

 prowess ; but it was no less by statesmanlike qualities, calm, reso- 

 lute perseverance, and wise prudence, that he achieved the independ- 

 ence of his country. 



Mr. George Combe, the phrenologist, to whom the original cast of 

 Burns' skull was first submitted, thus states the case in reference to 

 the frontal development of the poet : " An unskilful observer look- 

 ing at the forehead, might suppose ifc to be moderate in size ; but 

 when the dimensions of the anterior lobe, in both length and breadth, 

 are attended to, the intellectual organs will be recognised to have 

 been large. The anterior lobe projects so much that it gives an 

 appearance of narrowness to the forehead which is not real."! The 

 actual dimensions of the skull are, longitudinal diameter, 8 inches; 

 parietal diameter, 5.95 ; and horizontal circumference, 22-25. 



In the year 1865 the bones of Italy's greatest poet, Dante, were 

 submitted to a minute examination under the direction of commis- 

 sioners appointed by the Italian Government to verify the discovery; 

 and careful measurements were taken of the skull. Dr. II. C. 

 Barlow, describing it from personal observation, says : " The head 

 was finely formed, and the cranium showed, by its ample and exqui- 

 site form, that it had held the brain of no ordinary man. It was the 

 most intellectually developed head that I ever remember to have 

 seen. The occipital region was prominently marked, but the frontal 

 was also amply and broadly expanded, and the anterior part of the 

 frontal bone had a vertical direction in relation to the bones of the 

 face." (Afhenceum, September 9, 1865). But however intellectually' 

 developed and exquisite in form the poet's skull may have appeared^ 

 the actual measurements fall short of the amplitude here assigned to 

 it. The dimensions were as follows : — Internal capacity, determined 

 by filling the calvarium with grains of rice, 3-1321 lb. avoird., or a 



* " Arehseologia Scotica," Vol. II., p. 450. 



t " Phrenological Development of Robert Burns," by George Combe, p. T. 



