112 
Mr. Konig on a fossil human Skeleton 
that its presence in the rock on the coast had probably been 
indicated by the projection of some of the more elevated parts 
of the left fore- arm. 
The operation of laying the bones open to view, and of 
reducing the superfluous length of the block at its extremities, 
being performed with all the care which its excessive hard*- 
ness and the relative softness of the bones required, the ske- 
leton exhibited itself in the manner represented in the annexed 
drawing (PL 111.), with which my friend Mr. Alexander, 
has been so good as to illustrate this description. 
The skull is wanting; a circumstance which is the more to 
be regretted, as this characteristic part might possibly have 
thrown some light on the subject under consideration, or would, 
at least, have settled the question, whether the skeleton is that 
of a Carib, who used to give the frontal bone of the head a 
particular shape by compression, which Jiad the effect of de- 
pressing the upper and protruding the lower edge of the 
orbits, so as to make the direction of their opening nearly up- 
wards, or horizontal, instead of vertical.'^ 
The vertebrae of the neck were lost with the head. The 
bones of the thorax bear all the marks of considerable con- 
cussion, and are completely dislocated. The seven true ribs 
of the left side, though their heads are not in connexion with 
the vertebrae, are complete ; but only three of the false ribs 
are observable. On the right side only fragments of these 
bones are seen ; but the upper part of the seven true ribs of 
this side are found on the left, and might at first sight be taken 
for the termination of the left ribs ; as may be seen in the 
drawing. The right ribs must, therefore, have been violently 
* See the excellent figures inBLUMENBAcn’s Decades, 
