In Vol. 111, Part I of this Journal the writer5 described a new craniometric method for application to the norma jrontaZis of the skull, termed the naso-orbito-alveolar index. He found that this new index divided modern inankind into two great groups, the Eurasiatic and Negro races. It was therefore felt that its application to the recently discovered Rhodesian skull might possibly provide some interesting as well as instruct,ive results.
Since the skull arrived in England last autumn it has been the subject of preliminary reports by Smith Woodward,' Sir Arthur Keith,2 and Elliot Smith3 and inany excellent photographs* have been published. These observers are all agreed that it conforms t o the Neanderthal type. It was therefore very satisfactory to the writer to find that hi5 recently devised naso-orbito-alveolar index confirmed these conclusions. Thus it may be noted that the three rectangles in Fig. 1 exhibit an exceptional width, and in that respect, as well as in other features, agree with those in the La Chapelle skull, as figured by the writer on page 73 of Vol. I11 of this Journal.
On comparing Fig. I with Figs. 2 and 3, it will be observed that the nasal width of the Rhodesian sliull conforms to that of the modern negro type of skull, and is, on the other hand, in striking contrast to the comparatively narrow nasal aperture of the European type of cranium. This impression is confirmed by estimating the nasal index of the Rhodesian sliull which in the photograph yielded a result of approximately 54, thus conforming to the platyrrhine type of the negro skull of today. Of course it is obvious that this index would require to be estimated on the skull itself in order to yield an accurate result.