418 TWO REMARKABLE SKULLS 



which is given by Duckworth*^*^^ as from 53° to 66°, and their 

 average closely corresponded to that of 56° found by Berry 

 and Robertson'^^^^as the result of examining forty-five aboriginal 

 Tasmanian skulls, and is, on the other hand, slightly higher 

 than the average of 54.7° found by the same two observers, ^*^^ 

 after investigating the bregmatic angle in a series of one 

 hundred aboriginal Australian skulls. It is significant to 

 note once more, that No. 1 skull, as usual, exhibits a definitely 

 superior type of index. Indeed, it is a rather fortuitous 

 circumstance that these two Melanesian skulls, which were 

 obtained in quite a random way, should have consistently 

 shown approximations to the maximum and minimum 

 limits, respectively, in the range of variation of their cranial 

 indices with one exception, the orbital, which recorded prac- 

 tically the same result in both. This all goes to show how 

 mixed is the race that inhabits the New Hebridean group 

 of islands, the admixture of a higher grade Polynesian strain 

 being, no doubt, the cause of this wide range of difference. 

 An examination of two skulls thus proved sufficient to 

 substantiate the statement in Dr. Annand's letter regarding 

 this fact, but of course the writer knows and recognises the 

 necessity for an investigation extending over hundreds or 

 even thousands of crania in order to secure analytical results 

 that would adequately satisfy anthropologists on this matter. 

 The Glabella-Bregma Chord and the Curvature of the Frontal 

 Cranial Arc. — The glabella-bregma chord was estimated 

 to be 11.15 cm. in No. 1 skull and 11.35 cm. in No. 2, 

 repults which correspond very closely with those of Berry 

 and Robertson^"**^ who record 11.08 cm. as the average for 

 one hundred aboriginal Australian skulls, and 10.95 cm. 

 as the average result in the case of fifty aboriginal Tasmanian 

 skulls. It may be of interest to mention also that the glabella- 

 bregma chord in the Spy-Neanderthal race measured about 

 11 cm. on the average, while the writer calculated that 



was 11.13 cm. in Smith Woodward's reconstruction of 

 it 



