222 CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



jrregular, deeply marked by muscular impressions, with a frowning supra-nasal 

 and supraorbital prominence; short but abruptly eminent nasal bones, rising 

 suddenly out of the depression at the root of the nose ; the forehead narrower, yet 

 rising at about the same angle to nearly an equal elevation. The face of the 

 ancient Roman was slightly longer, fully as wide in all parts, and sensibly wider 

 in the frontal region, and as the angles and condyles of the lower jaw. This in- 

 creased breath at the two extremities, with want of elevation of forehead, impart- 

 ed to the countenance that quadrangular appearance so commonly observed in the 

 •tatues of ancient Romans of Consular and Imperial times. The calvarium in 

 the typical British skull is marked by particular shortness ; that of the ancient 

 Roman viewed vertically is not remarkable for shortness, whilst it preserves a 

 considerable breadth. It is fully half an inch longer than the -British, and yet 

 somewhat wider. Commencing in the frontal region, this width extends to the 

 temporal in all its parts, and to the parietal. It is on this feature we are disposed 

 to rest its peculiarity, and to call it pealty-cephalic, to express that especially ex- 

 panded form belonging to it without marked loftiness. Probably ancient British 

 and Roman sknlls agree pretty closely in elevation. The well-known peculiarity 

 in the nasal bones of the latter, mostly conjoined with remarkable breadth and 

 elevation of the nasal process of the superior maxillary, is another typical mark. 



The author next refers to two selected from several skulls obtained from 

 burials on the Via Appia — to a series derived from the Roman cemetery without 

 the south-western gate of Eburacum in 1852 — to others obtained from the Roman 

 Cemetery of Londinium in the Borough, dug up from the ' Roman level' about 16 

 feet below the present surface. He compares the physical characters of the 

 ancient Romans with those which may still be observed in the modern population 

 of Italy, and infers that * notwithstanding the vicissitudes of all the ages inter- 

 vening between the present and imperial times, we have just ground for 

 believing that the indicia of the ancient Roman people are still unextinguished in 

 their descendants.' He concludes by suggesting the inquiry into the degree in 

 which these peculiarities of the Romans may be traced in the people of Britain." 



Since this notice of the general subject of Roman Crania, and of the special 

 example from Roman York was read before the British Association, the York 

 Cranium has been figured in the beautiful and valuable work, the " Crania Britan- 

 nica," now publishing under the joint editorship of Mr. Davis and Dr. Thurnam. 

 We shall have an opportunity of noticing its earlier fasiculi in a future number. 



D. W. 



CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 

 fifth ordinary meeting. — 24:th January, 1857. 



The Hon. the Chief Justice Draper, C. B., President, in the Chair. 

 The following Gentlemen were elected Members : 

 Georqk S. McKay, Esq., Toronto. 

 James H. Morris, Esq., Toronto. 

 Dr. B. H. STAMsa3, Toronto. 

 Dr. Walter Geikik, Toronto. 



