224 BRAIN-WEIGHT AND SIZE IN RELATIOK 



possess a greater relative capacity of the anterior chamber of the 

 skull in the proportion of 42-3 to 41*8. Again, the coronal region, 

 though absokitely greater in the barbarous tribes, is rather larger in 

 proportion in the demi-civilized tribes."* But Dr. Morton also noted 

 that the heads of nine Perurian children in his possession " appear to 

 be nearly if not quite as large as those of children of other nations 

 at the same age ;"t so that he seemed to recognize something equiva- 

 lent to an arrested cerebral development accompanying the intellectual 

 activity of this remarkable people at some later stage, yet without 

 apparently affecting their mental power. But it was characteristic 

 of this minute and painstaking observer to accumulate and set forth 

 his results, unaffected by any apparent difficulties or inconsistencies 

 which they might seem to involve. In summing up his investiga-, 

 tions " On the internal capacity of the cranium in the different races 

 of men," he thus concludes : | " Respecting the American race, I 

 have nothing to add, excepting the strLkiug fact that of all the 

 American nations, the Peruvians had the smallest heads, while those 

 of the Mexicans were something larger, and those of the barbarous 

 tribes the largest of all," viz. : 



rr ii -\T 4-- \ Peruvians, collectively. . . 75 cub. inches. 



Toltecan Nations j j^^^^^^^; " ...79" " 



Barbarous Tribes .82 " " 



The enlarged tables given in the catalogue of Dr. J. Aitken Meigs, 



increase this inverse ratio of cerebral capacity, thus : 



Peruvians , 75 "3 



Mexicans 81 '7 



Barbarous Tribes 84*0 



"The great American group," he says, "is, in several respects, well 

 represented in the collection. It includes 490 crania and 13 casts, 

 making a total of 503 from nearly 70 different nations and tribes. 

 Of this large number 256 belong to the Toltecan race [embracing the 

 semi-civilized communities of Mexico, Bogota and Peru,] and 247 to 

 the barbarous tribes scattered over the continent. Of 164 measure- 

 ments of crania of the barbarous tribes, the largest is 104 cubic 

 inches ; the smallest 69 ; and the mean of all 84. One hundred and 

 fifty-two Peruvian skulls give 101 cubic inches for the largest internal 

 capacity, 58 for the smallest, and 75-3 for the average of all."§ 



* "Crania Americana," p. 260. 

 t "Crania Americana," p. 132. 

 X " Crania Americana," p. 261. 

 § "Introductory Note, Catalogue," p. 10. 



