528 
PROFESSOR OWEN’S DESCRIPTION OE THE CAVERN OE 
inches, lines. 
Length of sagittal suture, following the curve 5 5 
Breadth of superoccipital, in a straight line 3 9 
Breadth of frontal, in a straight line 4 1 
The cranium of the Australian contracts more at the frontal region, and slopes more 
from the sagittal tract ; the parietal eminences are more distinct ; the temporal ridges 
are more strongly marked ; the texture of the cranial bones is more dense, but is not 
thicker than at the frontal region of the cavern-cranium. 
Compared with an ancient Greek cranium, that from the cavern is less arched or 
elevated in the parietal and frontal regions, and is more convex in the superoccipital 
region. 
The following are dimensions of the Greek cranium : — 
inches. lines. 
Extreme length, or antero-posterior diameter, at the outer surface 6 9 
Extreme breadth, or transverse diameter ,, ,, . 5 2 
Length of sagittal suture, following the curve 5 0 
Breadth of superoccipital in a straight line 3 9 
„ frontal in a straight line 4 4 
The only specimen that gives indication of the curve or convexity of the forehead is 
part of the left half of the frontal bone (Register-No. 38310, British Museum), from 
which a great part of the outer table has become detached, adhering to the breccia 
broken by the blows of the pick-axe which brought this evidence of human structure to 
light, in the recess b, fig. 4. One of the frontal sinuses has, by the same cause, been laid 
open. 
The portion of the outer table remaining, shows the beginning of the external orbital 
process, but the form and degree of prominence of the superorbital ridge are not given. 
On the inner surface the frontal crest with the beginning of the ‘ sulcus longitudinalis 
is preserved. 
The following are other portions of human crania obtained at from 4 to 5 feet in 
depth, from the recess b, No. 4. 
A portion of the right parietal and a small contiguous portion of the superoccipital 
(Register-No. 38311, British Museum). A parietal foramen marks the contiguity of 
the border near which it is placed to the sagittal suture. The degree of convexity of 
the outer surface of the parietal, the non-indication of a parietal eminence, the convexity 
of the attached part of the superoccipital, the evidence of its triangular shape, the feeble 
indication of the temporal ridge, and the thickness of the bone are all characters in which 
the present fragment closely agrees with the more entire calvarium previously described. 
A portion of the left parietal, including the parietal foramen, and the upper part of 
the middle meningeal artery (Register-No. 38321). 
A portion of a parietal bone with the impression of a branch of the meningeal artery, 
showing a thickness of 4^ lines or 11 millimetres (Register-No. 38314, British Museum). 
