350 Anthropology at the British Association. 
Mersh Strong showed some interesting examples of roek draw- 
ings from New Guinea. 
Physical Anthropology was represented by one paper only. 
Prof. W. J. Sollas described a new method in comparative 
craniometry and its application to Homo neanderthalensis . 
He claimed that by finding the centre of gravity of a 
diagram of the skull it was possible to effect a division 
into sectors available for purposes of accurate description 
and comparison. 
In conclusion, reference must be made to the interesting 
and important discussion on ‘ Mental Character and Races/ 
which was opened by Prof. J. L. Myres in a joint session with 
Section J (Psychology). Prof. Myres said that mental 
qualities were inherited just as physical, and it might therefore 
be assumed that they stood in some direct relation with the 
nervous system. Some mental qualities seemed to be associated 
with physical. Some physical qualities were racial, others, 
like red hair, appeared to result from crossing. It was possible 
to enhance and combine mental qualities as was shown in the 
breeding of domestic animals such as the dog. Racial types 
were characterised by mental as well as physical qualities, 
but it was necessary to discriminate between the purely 
psychological reaction and the social cultural element . Dr. 
C. S. Myers, President of Section K, said the two principal 
influences on mental character were heredity and environment. 
Appearance was often misleading, as in the case of handscfme 
individuals who were mentally deficient. Different countries 
developed different types, as, for example, could be seen in the 
Americans, the New Zealanders and the Australians ; and also 
different parts of a country showed different characteristics, 
as in the case of the musical talent of Yorkshire and Wales. 
Mr. Fallaize referred to the persistence of mental characters 
as shown in the records of chroniclers and older historians, 
whose characterisations of different peoples often held good to- 
day ; and Dr. Shrubsall referred to the differences observable 
in London schools attended by half-castes who, though living 
under similar conditions, exhibited marked differences in tem- 
perament and habits from their school-fellows in such matters, 
for instance, as their disposition towards play. Dr. Cyril Burt 
said that mental differences seem to be inherited in much the 
same degree as physical. Tests of intellectual ability applied 
in different countries'showed small but distinct and constant 
differences ; but individual differences tended to swamp 
group differences. Temperamental type might be associated 
with racial type. For instance", the so-called ‘ objective 
type might be characteristically associated with ‘ Nordic 
physical features, and the ‘ subjective ’ type with the physical 
features of the Mediterranean type. 
Naturalist 
