578 THE NEANDERTHAL SKULL 
increasing posteriorly, so that on the lateral wall it is 2 lines thick, on 
the occiput 3 lines. The inner surface of the calvaria also indicates 
but moderate osseous development, the falx frontalis projecting but 
little ; the falx sagittalis being entirely absent ; the falx cerebelli ossea 
being but slightly developed, and the impressions of the central gyri, 
viz., two depressions on the inner Jamella, corresponding to the super- 
ciliary arches and smaller impressions in the lateral wall, being still 
visible. The superior occipital fossa for the posterior lobe of the brain is, 
on the left side, deep but narrower, on the right side, broader, but flat. 
The groove for the arteria meningea media is still present below, but 
disappears above. The fosse for the Pacchionian glands are tolerably 
large, especially on the right side, near the place of the sagittal suture. 
I may add that the fossa for the lachrymal gland on the malar process 
of the frontal bones of both sides is remarkably deep. Thus there is 
no particularly strong bony development of the skull ; the disappear- 
ance of the sagittal suture externally as internally ; that of the coronary 
suture almost wholly internally; the weakness of the lambdoid suture, 
further demonstrate this deficiency of bony growth. Thus far then, 
the characters of the fragment of the skull under discussion are not 
at all ape-like. Is this, however, not true of the large and broad 
projections of the supraciliary arches, to which so much weight is 
attached by Professors Schaafhausen and Huxley? 
“In the superciliary arches a distinction must be carefully drawn 
between the tuberositas or crista superciliaris and the arching of the 
frontal sinuses behind them. Each may enist independently of the 
other. The crista superciliaris is in the apes, in the Gorilla especially, 
strong, and gives the face its ferocious expression, whilst at the same 
time the frontal sinuses are entirely absent! In our Neanderthal 
skull, on the other hand, there is no crista superciliaris such as is 
frequently met with in human skulls with exostosis of the diploé, 
where the frontal sinuses are absent, and the two, strongly osseous, 
laminz of the os frontis are closely applied together. Consequently 
the projection of the superciliary arches in this cranial fragment 
constitutes no approximation to the type of the Ape or Gorilla.” 
—pp. 2-4. 
I must confess myself greatly perplexed to discover the rele- 
vancy of some of the arguments which Professor Mayer brings 
forward. 
In which of the higher apes—Gorilla, Chimpanzee, or Orang—has 
he found an osseous ‘ falx sagittalis, or ‘falx cerebelli’? And if they 
are not found in the apes, what has their absence in the Neanderthal 
skull to do with the question ? 
