CRANIOLOGY OF THE ABORIGINES OF TASMANIA. 



399 



The length of the nasio-bregmatic chord varied from 105 to 115 mm., with the 

 mean 1 08 "5 mm., a measure which closely corresponded with the mean 108 of the 

 chord of the arc of the Indian crania given in Table VI. of Part III. (supra cit.). The 

 length of the perpendicular erected from this chord in the Tasmanians ranged from 20 

 to 27 mm. ; but the mean 24 mm. of the six skulls was less than the mean, 26*7 mm., 

 in eight Indian skulls, and materially below the length, 27 mm. and 28 mm. respectively, 

 of the two Scottish skulls recorded in the same table. 



The bregma-lambdal chord of the parietal bone ranged from 106 mm., to 121 mm., 

 with the mean 113"6 mm. The perpendicular therefrom to the highest part of the bone 

 ranged from 21 to 26 mm., with the mean 24*1 mm., which closely corresponded with 

 the mean of the projection of the frontal bone, and showed that these bones had almost 

 similar curvatures. 



The lambda-inial chord of the occipital bone ranged from 46 to 66 mm., with the 

 mean 56 mm. The perpendicular therefrom ranged from 3 to 10 mm., with the mean 

 7'1 mm. These figures confirmed the statements made in the description of the 

 occipital region of these skulls (p. 370), of the feeble projection of the occipital squama 

 in the males, and of the short diameter from lambda to inion. In connection with the 

 occipital region in the Tasmanian skulls, I recall a paper which I published in 1864, 

 when the Neanderthal skull began to be the subject of controversy. Professor Huxley 

 had directed attention to the characters of this skull, and had shown that not only the 

 frontal but the occipital region possessed remarkable features, for the inial protuberance 

 formed in it the posterior pole of the skull so that the squama sloped upwards and 

 forwards and the occipital lobe of the brain would have been flattened and diminished. I 

 investigated at that time both the frontal and occipital regions in the Australian and 

 Tasmanian crania then in the Anatomical Museum of the University, and recognised a 

 form of the occipital squama similar to that of the Neanderthal skull in some of the 

 specimens. I also pointed out that it would be possible to arrange a series of 

 modern British skulls in which variations from a well-marked occipital bulging to a 

 form closely approaching that of the Neanderthal skull could be seen. 



In Table I. the total longitudinal circumference of the skulls is given, computed from 

 the total longitudinal arc, the length of the foramen magnum and the basi-nasal diameter. 

 Two of these factors, viz. the length of the foramen magnum and the basi-nasal 

 diameter, constitute the " base-line " of Cleland, and in Table V. the proportion of the 

 base-line to the total longitudinal arc, and to the total longitudinal circumference of 

 the skull, is shown. 



Table V. 





No. 1. 



No. 2. 



No. 5. 



No. 6. 



No. 7. 



No. 10. 



Base line of male Tasmanian skulls, . 



143 mm. 



138 mm. 



120 mm. 



140 mm. 



135 mm. 



131 mm. 



Total longitudinal arc, 



358 „ 



356 „ 



357 „ 



359 „ 



382 „ 



342 „ 



Longitudinal circumference, 



501 „ 



494 „ 



487 „ 



499 „ 



517 „ 



473 „ 



Base-line to longitudinal arc, 



2-5 „ 



2-5 „ 



2-9 „ 



2-5 „ 



2-8 „ 



2-6 „ 



,, „ ,, circumference, 



3-5 „ 



35 ., 



4-0 „ 



3-5 „ 



3-8 „ 



3-6 „ 



