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brated animals. This organ — the head, has excited the greatest 

 interest considered as the seat of intelligence. It has been 

 found that the nearer its figure approaches to that of a sphere, 

 the higher in the scale of being is the animal to "which it 

 belongs. Thus in man, yshere intelligence seems to be supreme 

 among vertebrata, the head assumes somewhat that form, and 

 falls awaj from that figure in the apes, -which hold the next 

 rank. By comparing both these skulls, with that of the tiger, 

 we find how rapidly the form has declined and the sloping back- 

 ward of the forehead, gives a flattened aspect to the whole 

 structure. So too, the mode by which the head is balanced 

 was worthy of note, in the position of the condyles, as they are 

 called, and by the other peculiarities of the osseous components 

 of the head. Dr. W. showed how the skull was naturally 

 divided into two distinct parts called the cranium and the face : 

 how the preponderance of the one over the other indicates the 

 character of the animal to which it belongs. So its nature may 

 be said to depend on the relative energy of the functions of the 

 brain. Dr. W. alluded to Camper's rules for measuring the 

 facial angle, and the results of such measurments in instituting 

 a criterion of beauty or proportion. He showed that the 

 ancients were sensible of these relations : but they exceeded 

 nature in producing their most wonderful works of art. The 

 curious and interesting discovery of Oken in disposing of the 

 skull as a vertebral column was adduced and the subsequent 

 elaboration of this idea by Oaven on the " Homologies of the 

 vertebrated skeleton." This led to a description of the vertebra 

 and its singular provisions and modifications, and to a descrip- 

 tion of the scientific arrangement of animals belonging to the 

 vertebrated classes. 



To its place among this group of creatures, Dr. W. assigned 

 the Walrus, whose skull elicited his observations made before 

 the session of the Institute. He showed from its habits and 

 form of head that it was one of the carnivorous animals, and 



