R. Crewdson Benington 
137 
I believe that type contours constructed for all the chief collections of homo- 
geneous crania would be of very great service. These type contours placed in 
order of divergence would give us many suggestions as to racial affinities, and 
craniologists would be able to detect points of divergence and of similarity which 
it is hard to extract from tables of figures, and which would partially replace the 
need for the difficult or often impossible comparison of two long series placed side 
by side. Is it too much to hope for, if we suggest that craniologists by a concordat 
should agree to prepare type contours of the large homogeneous cranial series in 
their keeping, and that these contours should be issued together in a standard 
form — solid print and tissue for superposing ? A work of this kind would 
ultimately be the standard book of each craniologist's library, especially if it 
were accompanied by good photographs of the skull nearest to the type contours. 
The present paper with its incomplete contours is not offered in any way as a 
contribution to such a work, it is intended solely to suggest that type contours 
may be of considerable value. If that point be recognised the many long days of 
labour which Dr Crewdson Benington gave to drawing individual contours and 
determining type contours will not have been wasted. 
Note to p. 131. Owing to the kindness of Dr D. E. Derry, I have since writing 
the above been able to examine three sections of the external auditory meatus, 
showing the relation of the part of the cranial wall which rests on the horizontal 
knife edge of the craniophor to the position of the ear-plug of the head spanner, 
if in situ. I find it difficult to believe that the surface of the ear-plug when the 
latter is properly inserted can be more than 3 to 4 mm. below the bone, or that 
measuring from the axis of the ear-plug we ought to allow, as far as the lower 
extremity of the auricular height is concerned for more than 7 or 8 mm. in all. 
If we take 5 to 6 mm. at a maximum for the thickness of flesh at the vertex, this 
gives 12 to 14 mm. difference at a maximum between living head and cranial 
auricular heights. If the average auricular height on the living head be taken as 
133 to 135 mm. we deduce 121 mm. for the average cranial auricular height, 
a result much in excess of most cranial experience. I only know three exceptions 
e.g. Ranke's " Altbayerische " peasants with slightly under 121 mm. ; and Schuster's 
Long and Round Barrow skulls with 121 and 124 respectively. Otherwise we 
have: Ancient Etruscans, 116; Modern Copts, 116; North African Negroes, 115; 
Naqadas, 115 ; Thebans, 114; Eskimo, 114; English 17th century, 114; Modern 
Wlirtemberger, 115; Modern Badenser, 113; Modern French, 113 ; Modern 
Guanche, 110; Congo Negroes, 112, etc. On the other hand my own measure- 
ments on the University College Staff gave 135, those on the members of the 
Anatomical Congress, 133, and those on members of the British Association, 
131 mm. — all values much in excess of Dr Benington's 126 mm., which was, 
however, on the living head of a different social class. I admit that Dr Benington 
gives us a low value compared to those just cited, but I cannot convince myself 
that he has made an error ; his results are in keeping with the English skulls, 
and an auricular cranial height of 122 mm. has yet to be demonstrated for a series 
of modern English crania. Parsons gives the auricular height of the Hythe 
Biometrika vm 18 
