OF THE MICMAC SKULL--CAMERON. 17 



diameter was 65.4% of the maximum parietal width. The 

 fronto-parietal index in this Micmac skull was calculated to be 

 71.5 which compared unfavourably even with that of a Melan- 

 esian skull, recently recorded by the author as 72.6.0 This 

 detrimental comparison was partly explained by the fact that 

 the maximum parietal width of the Melanesian skull was very 

 low, namely 128 mm. This remarkable post-orbital con- 

 striction imparts a characteristic outline to the Java calvaria, 

 as well as to the crania of the anthropoid apes, when studied 

 from above. Fig. 2 shows the Java calvaria (in dotted out- 

 line) and the outline of the Micmac skull drawn to the same 

 scale and seen from above. The minimum post-orbital dia- 

 meter was 87 mm., in the Java skull, and 105.5 mm., in this 

 Micmac skull, while the maximum parietal breadths were 133 

 and 147.5 mm., respectively. This Micmac skull thus exhi- 

 bited a considerable degree of filling out of the general cranial 

 contour, and more particularly a laudable attempt to obli- 

 terate the post-orbital constriction. In Fig. 2 this latter effect 

 is seen to be in marked contrast to the retraction of the Mic- 

 mac frontal contour on each side of the mesial plane, the 

 evolutionary scheme underlying this, no doubt, being to re- 

 move as much trace as possible of the heavy gorilla-like sup- 

 raorbital arches of the Java calvaria. Fig. 3 which exhibits 

 outlines of this Micmac skull and the Neanderthal calvaria 

 (in dotted outline) drawn to the same scale, will be found to 

 present several points of interest. Note in the first place the 

 superiority of this Micmac frontal contour, as compared with 

 the projecting supraorbital ridges of the Neanderthal speci- 

 men. The minimum post-frontal diameter and the maximum 

 parietal breadth of the Neanderthal calvaria V) were 107 and 

 147 mm., respectively, which it may be noted were practically 

 the same as those of this Micmac skull, but the Neanderthal 

 calvaria was 199 mm., in maximum length, so that when re- 

 duced to the same scale, the relative superiority of this Mic- 

 mac skull in all its transverse dimensions was at once apparent. 



Proc. & Traxs. N. S. Inst. S:-:., Vol. XV. Trans- 2. 



