distortion are, from the stran^*e form of tlieir heads, called 
8iigar-loaf-Indians. 
h. The next section of artiticially deformed skulls, or 
those which are made to deviate from the normal shape 
loitJiont intention and, as it were accidently, is that which 
it of the g'reatest importance to the craniologist. For it 
frequently happens, that the forms thus impressed on the 
head so complicate or mask the natural form, as to render 
it difticult to determine what is natural and what is due 
to an interference with nature. These deformations are 
also produced in infancy, and are the consecpiences of 
certain modes of nursiiyi;-, of covering the head and of 
dressing it. They appear to have first attracted attention 
in France, where D:r FoviLLE and others described them 
very accurately. Among French skulls it is occasionally 
seen that there exists a slight depression, running across 
the fore-part of the parietal bones, giving rise to the tete 
annidaire, or the tete bilubee^ where the compres^iing ban- 
dage has wrought a more effectual deformation. These 
distortions are the results of tight bandages a})plied to the 
heads of new-l)orn intants, which are passed across the 
middle of the head and round l)y the occipital region. But 
such a mode of dressing the head is, I am satisfied, not 
by any means confined to the French nurses. tete annu- 
laire is not very unusual in any collection of skulls, and 
is to be seen among those of various races. 1 think it is 
quite as common in Russian crania as among any others. 
Another very interesting series of undesigned defor- 
mations results from attaching infants to a cradleboard, or 
other hard substance, during the early months of life, for 
the purpose of more conveniently nursing them, or moving 
them about. It is well known that such a custom prevails 
Skand. jVnf -Forskare-Sdllsk. Mote 1863. 40 
