ANCIENT MAN— A RE-CONSTRUCTjON. 39 
case, and rise considerably above its superior plane, while a strong ridge at the 
median line of the cranium unites anteriorly with two smaller ridges, one pro- 
ceeding from the outer angle of one supra-orbitar prominence, and the other from 
the outer angle of the other. There are also other great bony processes coursing 
over the occipital portion of the animal's skull and around its base, intimations of 
the powerful muscular development of its jaws and neck. The ancient relic is 
smooth and entirely Hke the modern human skull in its general structure, none of 
those coronal, occipital, or lateral ridges being suggested by even a salience upon 
which a Huxleyite could rest an eye-glass. It must be remembered, too, that in 
producing this fossil, nature has replaced the original salient ridges with earthy 
matter, which by its accumulation to so great a thickness has probably much in- 
creased the apparent extent of the ridges ; and consequently a fair estimate of 
them must take into consideration this tendency of the thickening process, as well 
as the relation which the inner plate of a skull bears to the outer at the supra- 
orbitar region. 
The projection of these ridges is due, of course, to the breadth of the frontal 
sinuses, which are generally large in the males of savage races, the American 
Indian offering a good illustration of the fact. Mr. Huxley quotes Dr. Fuhlrott's 
language, that "a probe may be introduced to the depth of an inch" in the sin- 
uses of the Neanderthal frontal bone. We have seen specimens of modern 
skulls, in which the separation of the inner and outer tables over the orbits ex- 
tended fully an inch upward. Mr. Huxley alludes to the large circumference of 
this ancient skull, 23 inches, due, to be sure, to the great development of the 
supraciliary ridges, " though the perimeter of the brain case itself is not small." 
These ridges, he adds justly, " give the forehead afar more retreating appearance 
than its internal contour would bear out." 
A writer in Longman^ s Magazine, in reply to a naturalist who has placed 
much stress on the supra-orbitar ridges or "bosses" of the Neanderthal fossil, as 
significant of its "bestial type," says: "What is posed as the 'Neanderthal skull,' 
is the roof of the brain case, or 'calvarium' of the anatomist, including the pent- 
house overhanging the eye-holes or 'orbits.' There is no other part of the frag- 
ment which can be supposed to be meant by the large 'bosses' of the above quo- 
tation. And in this assumption I have to state that the supra-orbital ridge in the 
calvarium in question is but little more prominent than in certain human skulls 
of both higher and lower races, and of both the existing and cave dwelling periods. 
It is a variable cranial character by no means indicative of race, but rather of 
sex." 
It is in the structure and development of the brain that we should look for 
points of difference and relation. Open a gorilla skull, and immediately the 
great difference which separates it in form and volume of brain from man is evi- 
dent. The gorilla, possessing the largest brain of the quadrumana — the highest 
in the scale of brutes — is thus seen to be after all but a brute. Quoting again 
from the writer above — "I have found that a vertical longitudinal section brings 
