MortoTi's Crania Americana. 363 



wonderfully, the destroying effects of ages, for these interments 

 were made before the conquest, although at what period is un- 

 known." 



Dr. Morton states that the average internal capacity of the 

 Caucasian or European head, is at least 90 cubic inches. In three 

 adult ancient Peruvians, it is only 73. The mean capacity of 

 the anterior chamber is about one half of that of the posterior, or 

 25 to 47, while the mean facial angle is but 67 degrees. 



" It would," he continues, "be natural to suppose, that a peo- 

 ple with heads so small and badly formed, would occupy the low- 

 est place in the scale of human intelligence. Such, however, 

 was not the case." He considers it ascertained that " civiliza- 

 tion existed in Peru anterior to the advent of the Incas, and that 

 those anciently civilized people constituted the identical nations 

 whose extraordinary skulls are the subjects of our present in- 

 quiry." 



There is a discrepancy between this description of these skulls 

 and the civilization ascribed to their possessors, which is unique 

 in Dr. Morton's work. In every other race, ancient and modern, 

 the coincidence between superior cranial forms and superior men- 

 tal qualities, is conspicuoiis. On turning to Mr. Phillips's phreno- 

 logical measurements, however, we find that the 'rnean extent of 

 the forehead in this skull, from the point A on one side, to the 

 same point on the other, over B, or the " inter-sphenoidal arch, 

 over the perceptive organs," (as ascertained by a graduated tape,) 

 is 6.37 inches ; and the mean extent from A to A, over D, or the 

 " inter-sphenoidal arch over the reflective organs," is 6. 12 inches. 

 The mean of the same measurements of " 100 unaltered crania 

 of adult aboriginal Americans," of which many are ascertained 

 to be males, are 6.7 and 6.87 inches ; showing a superiority in 

 the region of the observing orgajis in the ancient race, and in 

 that of the reflecting organs in the modern. This indicates a 

 larger quantity of brain in the anterior lobe in the extinct race, 

 than Dr. Morton's description leads us to infer. This subject ob- 

 viously requires further elucidation. 



If these skulls had been compressed by art, we could have 

 understood that certain portions of the brain might have been 

 only displaced, but not destroyed. The spine, for instance, 

 may be bent, as in hump-back, yet retain its functions ; and we 

 might suppose the anterior lobe, in cases of compression, to be 



