302 
A Study of the Negro Skull 
The striking similarity in value of the three diameters for the three female 
series is only marred by the value of the Congo height i.e. 127 - 5. The males are in 
less good agreement, but here again the differences where significant are sometimes 
such that the Congo is nearer to one Gaboon series than the two Gaboon series 
are to each other. I do not think any differentiation of these series can be made 
on the basis of differences so wholly unsystematic as those of this table. 
Compared with Europeans the negro has both a shorter and a narrower skull ; 
it is shorter but broader than the ancient Egyptians, being in length and breadth 
very like the modern Copt (f : L = 177-0, JB =136-8, %:L= 171-5, % B = 131-1). 
On the other hand the negro skull is higher than most European skulls, thus we 
have : 
Height (H) 
100 
HfL 
$ 
? 
$ 
? 
Aino 
139-5 
135 
75-6 
76-7 
Copt ... 
137 
130 
77-5 
76-1 
Gaboon, 1880 
137 
132 
75-0 
76-8 
Gaboon, 1864 
135 
130 
75-5 
75-7 
Northern Negro 
135 
74-2 
Congo 
134 
128 
75-4 
74-6 
Naqada ... 
135 
129-5 
73-3 
73-2 
Bavarian 
134 
128 
74-2 
73-9 
E 1' h ^Whitechapel ... 
& h I Moor fields 
132 
125 
70-0 
69-1 
130 
124 
68-4 
67-2 
Wiirtemberger ... 
131 
126 
73-0 
73-2 
French ... 
131 
72-6 
In the feature therefore of height of head the negro excels the European, 
and resembles both in height and cephalic height index a primitive race like the 
Aino, or even the modern Copt (H—137 and 100 H/L = 77*5 for males!). This 
excessive height of the negro skull is maintained in all Shrubsall's series. Zulu 138, 
Angoni 137, Kaffir 137, although their great length reduces the height index to 
75, 74 and 72 respectively. Our North African negroes give 135 and 74 - 2, — all 
these for males, — while the mixed series G bis gives 135 and 72*8. 
It is worth investigating whether this greater height of the negro skull 
is above or below the auricular passages. Unfortunately the auricular height has 
not been determined for Shrubsall's series or our Gaboon series, and is probably 
5 mm. too great in Ranke's Bavarian series, which were I expect measured from 
the centre line of the auricular orifices (see Biometrika, Vol. vm. p. 137). We 
have the results given in the table on the following page. 
It will be seen that the Congo crania agree very closely with the North 
African negroes and that both do not exceed in auricular height the European 
group. The exaggerated height of the negro skull is therefore associated with 
the portion of the skull between the basion and the auricular axis. This is well 
brought out by taking the index formed of the ratio of auricular to total height, 
when it is seen that the Europeans have a greater development above the auricular 
