FOBEIGN INTELLIGENCE. 



227 



angle of the jaw in a Bengalese, a Javanese, and a Bellovacian (Belgian) ; 

 indications only in a Laplander, a young hegress, and an Egyptian mummy. 

 In opposition bo this, an aged Egyptian mummy and a JNow Caledonian 

 h ive exhibited this trait very decidedly, and in a Malay of Batavia it is 

 as marked as in our fossil, or very little less. Thus different human races 

 present all degrees of this character : but at the same time the inverse 

 ehafacter presents itself in the majority of individuals of all races.* New 

 comparisons are necessary, without doubt, to appreciate the value and the 

 signification of these 1 characters. 



" To what causes belong these contrary dispositions? Without wishing 

 to be too positive, I see in them, at present, the effect of the action of the 

 masseter acting outside, and of the internal pterygoid acting inside. The 

 relative weakness of the latter explains why the masseter ordinarily pre- 

 vails. Their accidental preponderance would be cai sed by the habit of 

 grinding the food, a habit which persons advanced in age often have. 

 This last observation was made by M. Jacquart, Assistant .Naturalist to 

 the Chair of Anthropology. As to the canal or gutter, we only see there 

 an exaggeration of that which exists normally. It is, indeed, at this point 

 that we find the channel designed to contain the submaxillary gland. The 

 inflection of the edge of the bone alone renders it more prominent and 

 deeper. The same savant called my attention in a special manner to the 

 form of condyle. The inferior internal border of its head is here, indeed, 

 very little marked. Its head is, moreover, perhaps more rounded and 

 larger outwards than ordinary ; but these peculiarities cannot be con- 

 sidered as essential characters. In the same race very great differences 

 may be noticed. In the Tahitians and the New Caledonians the head of 

 the condyle is sometimes nearly triangular, with one of the sides of the 

 triangle placed outwards, and one of the angles inwards. Lastly, may not 

 age here again exercise an influence ? I would say as much, from the 

 great opening that the sigmoid echancrure presents. We see thus how 

 many studies and comparisons should still be made before pronouncing 

 on the real value of the peculiarities which the Abbeville jaw presents. 



" Thanks to M. Lartet, I have been able to compare already this jaw 

 with, a median portion of the same bone, found by him in the rubbish 

 (deblais) of the cavern of Aurignac, and with the body of the same bone 

 discovered by M. de Vibray, in the cavern of Arcy. M. Pruner-Bey 

 kindly joined M. Lartet in the comparative examination that we made 

 of these precious remains. On all points we concurred in the same opi- 

 nions. 



" In the portions common to them all, these three bones presented slight 

 differences, but also resemblances. Thus the canal or gutter I spoke of 

 just now, was distinguished from that in the Aurignac jaw, as well as from 

 that in the Arcy, inasmuch as it appeared perhaps a little more decided 

 there than the former. . . . 



"In respect to the Abbeville jaw, it appears to all three of us to be 

 very probably that of an aged individual, and in any case, of small size, 

 or approaching, at most, middle stature. 



" 1 will add, that in this jaw there is absolutely nothing that supports 

 the ideas entertained by some adventurous minds, who make out man to 

 be descended from the ape by means of successive modilieat ions. This 

 jaw is somewhat more feeble than strong; altogether characteristic of 

 man; and it has nothing of the ferocious physiognomy, if] may be per- 

 mitted the expression, that is sometimes displayed in the same part of the 

 skeleton in existing races. 



* Dr. Falconer came independently to the same conclusions, 



