20 A CRANIOMETRIC STUDY 



Fig. 5 is an outline of a Melanesian skull (in clotted outline) 

 drawn to the same scale as the Micmac skull which will be 

 observed to exhibit the superiotity of its transverse dimensions 

 in every way. Note for example its smooth rounded frontal 

 contour as compared with the heavy supraorbital projections 

 of the Melanesian skull. Observe again how poorly filled is 

 the Melanesian skull, particularly in the region of the post- 

 orbital constriction. In fact it will be noted on comparing 

 this with Fig. 3 that the contour of the Melanesian skull 

 shows a grade actually inferior to that of the Neanderthal 

 skull, and might indeed almost be regarded as a half way stage 

 back to the Java type. (See Fig. 2). 



The Calvarial Height Index. — The calvarial height was 98.5 

 mm., which yielded a calvarial height index of 56.7. This 

 was practically the same as the average index for two Melan- 

 sian skulls recently recorded by the writer in Vol. XIV of these 

 Transactions, O but is distinctly better than the average of 

 100 Aboriginal Australian skulls (unsexed) which was recently 

 given by Berry & Robertson ("') as 53, though inferior to the 

 average of 32 European skulls which was given by the same 

 two observers as 59.8.('°) The salient point to be noted, how- 

 ever, was that the figure was well within the range of varia- 

 tion for even the European type of skull (54.4 to 66.2). It 

 may be noted in passing that this index exhibits a marked 

 improvement when compared with those of the Java calvaria 

 (34. 2), the Neanderthal calvaria (40.2), the Piltdown skull 

 (47.3)0 and the Cro-magnon skull (50). 



The Bregmatic Angle. — This angle was ascertained to be 60° 

 (See Figs. 6 and 7) which is certainly within the range of var- 

 iation for the higher races of modern Hominidae. In fact I 

 find from tables of comparison of this angle, furnished by 

 Berry & Robertson, ('") that it was almost exactly the same 

 as the mean average for forty European skulls, namely 



(1 ) This was calculated by the writer from the list of cranial measurements by Smith Wood- 

 ward of his first reconstruction of the Piltdown cranium. 



