THROUGHOUT THE AMERICAN ABORIGINES. 427 



bords de V Orenoque ; rapporte par M. de Humboldt;"* and so far 

 suffices to indicate in how far the opinion already quoted from Hum- 

 boldt's Researches coincides with his own independent observations. 



2. In addition to what has been above remarked in reference to 

 the probable artificial origin of the supposed typical form of 

 occiput, assigned by Dr. Morton to the whole American race ; 

 I am struck, in the majority of the examples examined, with 

 the total absence of any approximation to the flattened occiput. 

 Fifteen of the crania referred to exhibit a more or less decided pos- 

 terior projection of the occiput, twelve of these being markedly so, 

 and seven of them presenting such a prolongation of it, as consti- 

 tuted one of the most striking features in one class of ancient Scot- 

 tish crania, which chiefly led to the suggestion of the term Kumbe- 

 cephale,f as a distinctive term for them. 



3. The tendency to the pyramidal form, occasioned by the angular 

 junction of the parietal bones, is apparent in the majority of the 

 skulls examined. I have noted its occurrence more or less promi- 

 nently in fourteen crania, of which five exhibit a strongly marked 

 pyramidal form, extending to the frontal bone. In some, however, 

 it is only slightly indicated, while in several it is totally wanting. 



4. I am further struck with the frequency of the very partial pro- 

 jection, and in some examples the total absence of the supercilliary 

 ridge, a characteristic which I am not aware has been noted before. 

 In seven of the skulls carefully noted by me, this is particularly mani- 

 fest, and along with their pyramidal vertex and predominant longi- 

 tudinal diameter, suggest affinities hitherto overlooked, with the 

 Esquimaux form of skull. 



5. I would also note that, whereas Dr. Morton states, as the re- 

 sult of his experience, that the most distant points of the parietal 

 bones are, for the most part, the protuberances, I have only found 

 such to be the case in two out of twenty-nine Canadian skulls. 

 The widest parietal measurement is generally a little above the 

 squamous suture. 



6. The occurrence may also be noted in several of these cra- 

 nia, of wormian bones of such regularity of form and position, as 

 to constitute indications at least, seemingly confirmatory of the sup- 

 posed tendency to the development of an interparietal or superocci- 

 pital bone, first pointed out by Dr. Bellamy. This, which is a per- 

 manent cranial characteristic in some of the mammalia, is regarded 



* Cuvier : Le Regne Animal. Races Humaines, -planches 1 et 2. pi. 8. jig. 2. 

 t Prehistoric Annals of Scotland, p. 109. 



