422 PRINCIPAL SIR WM. TURNER ON 



The transverse processes had costal facets for the corresponding rib tubercles as far as 

 the 9th vertebrae ; in the lowest three the processes were non-articular and diminished 

 in projection from the 10th to the 12th. Mammillary processes were present in 

 the 11th and 12th. The dorsal spinous processes had no special variations in 

 appearance. 



Lumbar Vertebrae. — Both mammillary and accessory processes were present. The 

 1st lumbar transverse process was 10 mm. long, as compared with 19 mm., the length 

 in the 3rd lumbar. The spines were normal. The 5th lumbar had no unusual 

 modification. 



In my Challenger Report, in addition to a description of the peculiarities 

 observed in the spinal column, I dwelt at some length on the form and dimensions of 

 the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae, and the part which they took in the production of 

 the lumbar curve in the human spine. From the examination of a series of spines in 

 Europeans, and in the aborigines who formed the special subject of that report, it was 

 evident that the upper and lower surfaces of the lumbar bodies were not parallel to 

 each other, but inclined obliquely, so that the body was wedge-shaped ; in the upper 

 lumbar vertebra 3 , the vertical diameter of each body was longer behind than in front ; 

 in the lower it was longer in front than behind. These differences, and the part 

 which they took in the production of the lumbar curve, were also investigated at the 

 same time and independently on another series of racial skeletons by Professor D. J. 

 Cunningham, and a numerical index was computed by each of us from the measure- 

 ments of the vertical diameter in front and behind. If the upper and lower surfaces of 

 the body were parallel and equal, the index would be 100, but if not parallel a special 



index for each vertebra could be obtained by the formula " - . ' — '-^. , and 



anterior vert. di. 



a general lumbar index by dividing the collective posterior vert. di. x 100 by the 



collective anterior vertical diameters. If the resulting index was below 100 the 



anterior vertical diameter exceeded the posterior; if above 100 the posterior vertical 



diameter was the longer. 



I have pursued this method in the Tasmanian skeleton now under consideration, and 



have computed the special and general indices in the four lower dorsals as well as in the 



lumbar vertebrae. 



