ON SKULLS OF HORSES FROM THE ROMAN FORT AT NEWSTEAD. 567 



50'33, but less than in a fairly typical Celtic pony from the Hebrides, in which the 

 frontal index is 57 '65. This intermediate condition mainly results from the fact that 

 while in the small Newstead skull the face is practically twice the length of the 

 cranium, in the Forest skull it is 1'9 and in the Steppe skull 2 '4 times the length of 

 the cranium. Were the face of the small Newstead skull relatively as long as m the 

 560 mm. skull of the Steppe type, the frontal index would only be 46*25, i.e. 15'04 less 

 than in the Newstead skull of the Forest type. It may be remembered that though 

 the face of the narrow Newstead skull of the Celtic type is relatively decidedly shorter 

 than in the Newstead horse of the Steppe type, it is relatively longer than the 

 Newstead skull of the Forest type. Evidence of this we have when the length of 

 the face is multiplied by 100 and divided by the cranio-facial length (distance from 

 upper border of foramen magnum to alveolar point). In the Newstead Steppe horse 

 the index is 75*52, in the horse of the Celtic type 72*03, in the horse of the Forest 

 type (owing to the face being relatively shorter than in the others) it is 69*63. 



In the small Newstead skull of the Celtic type the face is more bent downwards 

 than in the Newstead skull of the Forest type. A line carried through the basi-cranial 

 axis of a skull belonging to the Forest variety lies considerably below the tips of the 

 nasal bones (PL II. fig. 6), whereas a similar line in the small narrow Newstead 

 skull of the Celtic type lies slightly above the tips of the nasal bones. In the 495 mm. 

 Roman skull, as in typical Celtic ponies, the outline of the face is concave, but, owing 

 to the distal portions of the nasals being less arched, the dishing is less pronounced. 



One further observes in the small Newstead skull that the orbits are relatively 

 longer and less circular than in a Forest skull ; that the nasals and premaxillae are 

 narrower ; that the occipital condyles, as in the Forest variety, are separated by a wide 

 groove (in the Steppe type the condyles are almost in contact) ; and that the articular 

 surfaces for the condyles of the mandible, instead of lying at right angles to the main 

 axis of the skull, have their outer ends slightly inclined forwards. Further, the hard 

 palate is relatively shorter than in either Steppe or Forest varieties. 



Of three small skulls of the Plateau type found at the Newstead fort, two in all 

 probability belonged to the Celtic variety (PI. III. fig. 8), while the third belonged to a 

 Celtic pony with a trace of Forest blood. It may hence be assumed that two of them 

 were characterised by a small narrow face, a short strong back (with only 23 dorso- 

 lumbar vertebrae), and well-formed hind-quarters ; by having the tail in line with the 

 croup but set on lower than in the Steppe horse ; the limbs constructed for speed, with 

 small joints, long fetlocks, and rounded hoofs ; by having a very full mane and tail, the 

 tail during winter being provided with a tail-lock ; and by possessing only two of the 

 eight callosities found in Forest and Steppe horses — the hind chestnuts as well as the 

 four ergots being entirely absent. 



In addition to small narrow skulls of the Celtic type, Newstead has yielded four 

 long narrow skulls which may very well have belonged to Arab-like steeds measuring 

 from 13*3 to 14*1 hands at the withers. One of these, 534 mm. in length, agrees very 



