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(318 
aboriginal peoples*), as well as among European races. My 
attention lias been particularly directed to tins point from 
having in my collection a number of remarkable examples. 
1 possess one skull of an Australian, which is the largest 
and most singular spheuo-cephalus hitherto described. The 
skulls of a North-American-Indian and of a Veddah, of 
the Island of Ceylon, the former a boy of 14, are also 
instances of synostosis of the sagittal suture and of scapho- 
cephalism**). The cranium of ’’Tofii”, a native of the Island 
') On the prevalenee of syiiostotic Crania ainong Aboriginal Races of man. 
By J. Bahnard Davis, M. D. Transactions of the Society of Sciences 
of Haarlem 1864. 
*') In some races skulls occur, even frequently, vhich pre.scnt such a great 
length, narronmess and height as to deserve to be distinguished by the 
epithet scapho-cephalic, a term Avhicli has been felicitously ajiplied by the 
distinguished Professor von Baer ot S:t Petersburg, to crania jiresenting 
an irregularity in tbeif' developement. I'his irregularity consists essen- 
tially of the premature ossilication of the sagiital suture. Prof, von 
Baer maintained that the two parietal bones, in these cases, had been 
developed from one centre of vssijicniion, situated in the mesian line, i. e. 
in the course of the sagittal suture. My observations upon the 27 skulls 
in my Collection vliich e.xhibit a too early obliteration of the sagittal 
suture, afford no support whatever to the e.xistence of such a presumed 
um-j)arietal bone. In true .icapho-cephalic crania, besides the obliteration 
of the sagittal suture, there are the signs of compensatory developement, 
occasioned by the continued growth of the brain, in a very jirotuherant 
forehead and occiput and usually a ridge along the line of the closed 
suture, which, at times, follows that of the obliterated frontal suture 
also. This represents the keel of the ancient boat and renders the epithet 
scapho-cephalic closely applicable. 
Many of the skulls of the New Caledonians and New Hebrideans 
exhibit such great length, narrowness and height that they may with 
propriety he designated natural scajdto-cephali. The parietal tubers are 
also very lowu They are to be distinguished from the scapho-cephali pro- 
duced by anomalous developement by the absence of the ridge or keel 
and of the other marks. Such incom))lete scapho-cephalism thus be- 
comes, to a certain degree, a race- character. 
It wile serve in a forcible manner to show the great importance to 
craniologists of the subject of artificial interference Avith the configuration 
of the head, if I mention, that in these very races, the Ncav Caledonian? 
