THE ABORIGINES OF TASMANIA. 421 



The chords of the frontal and parietal arcs in the Brussels skull were less than the 

 mean of the corresponding chords of the Tasmanian skulls in Part I., but that of the 

 occipital arc was 1 mm. longer. The vault of the frontal arc, 2 mm. more prominent 

 than the mean, gave a well-arched forehead ; that of the parietal was 6 mm. less 

 prominent, and that of the occipital was 1 mm. less than the mean, and the projection 

 of the occipital squama was less pronounced, though more so than in Nos. 5 and 6, in 

 which the perpendicular line was only 3 and 4 mm. respectively. 



In the same table I have stated the proportions which the base-line, as defined in 

 Part I., bore to the total longitudinal arc and the longitudinal circumference, and I have 

 given the mean of the series of Tasmanian skulls previously recorded in the same part. 

 The base-line, the longitudinal arc, and the longitudinal circumference were smaller 

 than the mean of the skulls previously measured, but the proportion of the arc and the 

 circumference to the base-line was somewhat less (which corresponded with the smaller 

 cubic capacity of the Brussels skull) than the mean of the skulls described in Part I. 

 of my memoir on the crania of the Tasmanian aborigines. 



Spinal Column, Ribs, Sternum and Pelvis. 



The Vertebrae were smaller than one meets with in the Spines of European men. 

 When the surfaces of the bodies were apposed the seven cervical were 74 mm. long, 

 the twelve dorsal 206 mm., the five lumbar 120 mm. — in all, 400 mm. If to these 

 be added the length of the sacrum 100 mm., and that of the coccyx 21 mm., the 

 total length of the vertebral bodies, excluding the intervertebral discs but including the 

 anterior arch of the atlas, was 521 mm. (20| inches). 



Cervical Vertebrae.- — The spinous processes, except that of the axis, were not bifid ; 

 that of the 7th was most prominent, that of the 6th projected several mm. beyond the 

 spines of the 5th, 4th, and 3rd ; the posterior tubercle on the neural arch of the atlas 

 was bifid. The grooves for the vertebral arteries on the atlas were not bridged by 

 bone, although each was overhung by a projection backwards of the superior articular 

 process. The vertebrarterial foramina were normal in the upper five vertebrae, but 

 the 6th had the foramen on each side divided into two, and in the 7th the parapo- 

 physis was pierced by a small foramen in front of the normal hole. In the non-bifid 

 character of the cervical spines this Tasmanian skeleton corresponded with other 

 aboriginal skeletons, as pointed out by Owen, Hamy, Cunningham and myself in one 

 of my Challenger Reports* 



Dorsal Vertebrae. — The 1st to the 9th had the customary two costal facets on each 

 side of the body ; the 10th, 11th, and 12th had only a single costal facet on each side. 



* The references to the Challenger Reports in this section of the memoir are mostly to that on Human Skeletons, 

 " Zoology, Chall. Exp.," part xlvii. p. 59, 1886. In this Report I suggested several new descriptive terms, which I have 

 found to be of use in the study of the skeleton from the point of view of the anthropologist ; these terms are employed 

 in this section. 



