GRANIOLOGY OF THE ABORIGINES OF TASMANIA. 371 



complete and the nasio-mental length was 96 mm., but as the zygomatic arches were 

 broken, the complete facial index could not be computed. In five skulls the maxillo- 

 facial index ranged from 40*5 to 53*3 ; three were leptoprosopic, narrow faced, and in 

 them the maxillary region was relatively narrow, as if pinched in laterally ; one skull 

 was chamseprosopic (40*5), low-faced, but the mean of the series (49) was mesoprosopic. 

 In four skulls, not including the edentulous, the upper jaw, on inspection, showed none 

 or but little alveolar prognathism, but in three the prognathism was distinct. The 

 gnathic index obtained by Flower's method ranged from 97 to 105*2 ; two were in the 

 orthognathic group, three were mesognathic, two were prognathic ; the mean of seven 

 skulls was 100*6, i.e. mesognathous. The canine fossae were distinct, and in two they 

 had unusual depth. The incisive fossae were shallow in the orthognathic skulls, but 

 were more marked in the prognathic. (Plates II., III. ; figs. 7, 11.) 



The nasio-malar index* ranged from 103 "8 to 109 ; two skulls were platyopic, six 

 mesopic, none pro-opic i.e. with a projecting profile ; the presence of a slight keel in the 

 bridge of the nose contributed to place the mean 1067 in the mesopic group. The 

 orbital aperture was transversely elongated and relatively low, the vertical diameter of 

 the os planum was also low, and its anterior border had only a short articulation with 

 the lachrymal. The supraciliary ridge and the upper border of the orbit projected in 

 front of the plane of the lower border of the orbit. The outer border of the orbit was 

 considerably behind the inner border, and the plane of the orbital aperture was oblique. 

 The infraorbital suture was usually obliterated. The orbital index ranged from 68 "2 

 to 84'6 ; no specimen was megaseme, two were mesoseme, six were microseme, and 

 the mean index 78*2 was microseme. The interorbital width in six skulls ranged 

 from 20 to 25 mm. ; in two it was 27, in one 28 mm. The malar bones were small. 



The hard palate in some skulls was shallow, in others it was moderate in height, but 

 no specimen had a high vault. The palato-maxillary index ranged from 108'3 to 116*9, 

 and the mean of five specimens was 113*4 ; one was dolichuranic.. with a relatively long 

 palate ; two, brachyuranic, were more evenly proportioned in length and breadth ; two, 

 mesuranic,t had intermediate proportions. The lower jaw in the male (xxx. 4) was 

 edentulous, and the senile characters were pronounced. In the female the mandible, 

 though of moderate size, was well formed and with the muscular markings feeble ; the 

 chin was also feeble. The teeth were mostly lost from the maxillae ; when present 

 they were, as a rule, worn by use, but were not stained ; the alveoli were unabsorbed 

 and the adult dentition had been completed. In the left upper dentary arcade of 

 xxx. 2 the socket of a fourth molar was present, but the tooth had dropped out. The 

 sockets for the incisors were not absorbed, and obviously the extraction of upper incisors 

 at puberty had not been practised by these Tasmanians. One or more molars and pre- 



* The nasio-malar index is computed by dividing the nasio-malar line x 100 by the bi-malar line ; the index of 

 a pro-opic or projecting profile is above 110, a platyopic or flat profile is below 106, while a mesopic profile has the 

 index between 106 and 110. 



t See "On the Craniology of the People of Scotland," Trans. Roy. Soc, vol. xl. p. 6071, 1903, for explanation of 

 these terms. 



