Page:Natural History Review (1861).djvu/187

Rh nal outline, for surmising that the superciliary ridges may have been prominent. But as we have had no opportunity of inspecting either the skull itself, which is in a very shattered condition, or a cast of it, and. as the drawing given of the front view does not support the surmise, we must be content with simply throwing it out,—leaving the point to be determined by future examination. As the Engis cranium, from its undoubted geological antiquity, is of particular interest, and perhaps the most interesting relic of ancient humanity in existence, we give reduced copies of Dr. Schmerling's figures, which may be the more acceptable, as his work is not very generally accessible in this country.

With respect to the relationship between the prisca gens to which these cave-bones belong, and any of those which, since their time, have inhabited Western Europe or are anywhere found living, no satisfactory opinion can at present be offered. Dr. Schmerlrng, it is true, fancied that he perceived some resemblance between his cranium and that of the Negro, but it must be confessed that his figures or measurements give no support to this notion. Dr. Schaaffhausen, enters pretty fully into the question of this relationship; and we have, therefore, little need to say more upon such an obscure and difficult matter. At the same time, we cannot avoid insisting upon one important point, viz.: that none of the crania above noticed, unless it be, perhaps, that from Plau, belong to the brachycephalic type; that is to say, the breadth in all is less than ths of the length; they cannot, consequently, be referred to the short-headed race or races, which there is much reason to believe constituted the earliest of the existing European stocks.

Fig. 1. Various views of the Neanderthal cranium (taken from a plaster cast in the possession of Sir Charles Lyell), one-half size of nature).

2. Side view of the cranium of a young Chimpanzee (one-ninth less than nature).

Fig. 1. Side view of the cranium of a Red Indian.

2. Front view of the same.

3. Side view of the Engis craniun (reduced one-half from Dr. Schmerling's figure).

4. Front view of the same.

5. Longitudinal view of the Mewslade cranium.

6. 7. Cranium from limestone quarry near Plymouth.