344 
THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN 
left) is nearly vertical, and inside in place of being outside 
that line. Further, the right half of the skull is con- 
siderably larger than the left. There is no possibility of 
making the right and left halves of the occipital bone 
even approximately symmetrical on these reconstructional 
lines. It may be thought that a marked degree of 
asymmetry was an inherent character of this ancient man, 
but before we accept such a conclusion it is necessary 
to remember that the more primitive the type of man, 
the greater the degree of symmetry in the right and left 
parts. We have also to keep in mind that the extreme 
degree of asymmetry may be due to malposition of parts. 
sJ . , . . . 
Fig. ii8. — A. Drawing of the occipital aspect of the Piltdown skull as recon- 
structed by Dr Smith Woodward. B. From a reconstruction by the Author. 
The point of perforation by the pickaxe is indicated. 
On looking round for an explanation of the peculiar 
arrangement given by Dr Smith Woodward to the 
Piltdown fragments, I observed that he had placed the 
middle line of the roof along the fragment marked " left 
parietal " in fig. 1 1 8, A. If such were the true middle 
line, then there ought to be some evidence of the suture 
between the right and left parietal bones, which meet 
along the mid-line. But of this suture there is not a 
trace. On fig. ii8. A, I have placed three arrows, the 
middle one crossing the hinder angle of the left parietal 
bone. An examination of the original fragment leaves 
me in no doubt that the middle line lies at the point 
marked by the middle arrow, but, as will be seen sub- 
