K. Orewdson Benington 
301 
(4) Biometric Constants for Negro Crania. Tables I and II give the means, 
standard deviations and coefficients of variation (accompanied where justifiable by 
their probable errors) of the Congo and Gaboon 1864 series for males and females 
respectively. The values of the Gaboon 1880 series, for Fawcett's modern negroes 
and for Shrubsall's Zulu, A.ngoni and Kaffir series are given for comparison. 
Let us first compare the Gaboon and Congo crania with regard to a few of the 
measured characters. First : Capacity. Taking the males there is a greater 
difference between the 1880 Gaboon crania and the 1861 Gaboon than between 
the latter and the Congo. The difference of the last two is 37 cm. 3 and the 
probable error of that difference about 16 cm. 3 , or the difference is less than 
2'5 times its probable error. It is difficult to lay stress on this. Now turn to the 
two Gaboon series. The probable error of the capacity of the 1864 males is 10'38, 
of the 1880 about 18*16* ; the difference of their capacities is 67 and the probable 
error of that difference 21 cm. 3 Hence the difference is more than three times 
the probable error and likely to be significant. On the other hand the modern 
negroes from North Africa are not in capacity significantly different from either 
the Congo or Gaboon 1864 series! Shall we not conclude that the Gaboon 1880 
series has only larger capacity, because it consists of solely 16 crania, and that 
these have been probably subject to some unknown form of selection ? If we 
turn to the female crania we find this view is entirely confirmed. There is no 
significant difference between either Gaboon series and the Congo. Shrubsall 
has given us no capacities, but, I think, we may say provisionally that for the 
negro skull the capacity is about 1350 for males and 1230 for females, a result 
very close to Galton's rule of adding one twelfth to the female to get the male 
equivalent. Clearly the capacity of the negro skull is for males about 140 cm 3 , 
and for females about 100 cm 3 , less than that of modern Europeans f. These are 
significant differences. The capacity is probably slightly less than that of the 
ancient Egyptians as judged by Naqada or Theban crania, it is sensibly less than 
that of a short and primitive race like the Aino, and appears only equalled 
by that of the modern Copt or Hindoo j. 
Diameters: If we take the chief diameters of the head we have : 
Congo 
Gaboon, 1864 
Gaboon, 1880 
I 
? 
$ 
V 
6 
? 
Length (L) 
Breadth (B) ... 
Height (H) ... 
177-9 
138-5 
133-8 
171-4 
130-9 
127-5 
179-5 
135-5 
135-4 
171-5 
130-6 
130-1 
182-3 
138-2 
136-7 
171-0 
130- 5 
131- 5 
* Assuming the S.D. of the 1880 series would be approximately the same as that of the 1864 series. 
t English <?1477, ? 1300; Bavarian s 1503, ? 1335 ; Wiirtemberger 3 1494, ? 1337; French 3 
1494. Data reduced by Macdouell, Fawcett and Lee. 
% For ancient and modern Egyptians ; see Biometrika, Vol. 1. p. 426 ; the Hindoo skull is judged 
from material in the Biometric Laboratory not yet published. 
