PROFESSOR CAMERON S I'APER. Xxix 



described as prognathous. In tlie white races, on the other 

 hand, the jaws are feeljly (levehjjK'd whih' the frontal region 

 is prominent — these skulls l)eiuji- termed orthognathous. 

 The average alveolar index for the British race is in the 

 neighbourhood of 96. Some of the ancient Egyptian skulls 

 I examined were remarkably orthognathous, and, therefore, 

 represented a very fine type, the index in one case being 

 93.8. This latter skull, which was that of the son of a prince, 

 presented a high degree of evolution, the frontal region 

 being particularly well modelled and intellectual in appear- 

 ance. I was able, however, to find traces of negro admix- 

 ture in many instances, one skull that I examined being 

 strongly prognathous, with an alveolar index of 104.34, 

 which actually exceeded in degree the average of the aboriginal 

 Australian of today, which is 104, and is supposed to represent 

 one of the lowest types of mankind. 



Many other customs or habits of the Ancient Egyptians 

 are shown by the condition of their skeletons. One of the 

 most interesting of these is- the effect produced by squatting 

 on the bones of the lower limbs. Chairs or seats of any sort 

 were a luxury in those days, so that the majority of people 

 were compelled to us2 Mother Earth to sit upon. The result, 

 as you will at once recognize, was to produce an extreme degree 

 of flexion of the hip, knse, and ankle joints. You can study 

 this posture for yourselves in the Ezypt of today by walking 

 along the streets of Cairo, where you will see the various 

 vendors seated in a squatting position on the ground by the 

 side of their wares. The result of this characteristic attitude 

 is to cause the neck of the femur or thigh bone to press hard 

 against the margin of its socket and the capsule of the hip 

 joint, thus producing a smooth polished surface or facet on 

 the front of the neck of the bone. The eiTect on the knee 

 joint is to cause the upper end of the tibia or shin l)one to 

 become tilted backwards (retroversion) in order to adapt 

 itself to the altered position of the limbs. In the erect 



