Again, there are peculiarities to be taken into consideration, the importance of which has long been neglected. We have known for several years that the stature has an influence upon the weight of the brain. It cannot be without influence upon the cavity by which the latter is enclosed. M. Broca has shown that sex is of itself a cause of variation. In the woman the mean cranial capacity is always less than in the man, and the difference varies between different races. Nevertheless, in examining a sufficient number of skulls, the causes of error may counterbalance each other, and the means may be accepted as giving results sufficiently near the truth. The results obtained by the same observer are especially favourable for comparison, and from them certain results may be obtained. There is no reason, therefore, why the cranial capacity should not be considered as a character well worthy of study. But its importance must not be exaggerated. M. Broca arrived at the following result, in considering the distinction of extreme races. The cranial capacity of the Australian being represented by 100, that of the African Negro is 111·60, and that of fair European races 124·8. I borrow from my eminent colleague the following table, published by M. Topinard in his _Anthropologie_. This table gives the mean cranial capacity, in cubic centimetres, for a certain number of races in both sexes. I have merely substituted the serial order in the men for the almost geographical division of the author, and calculated the difference between the sexes. +-----------------------------------+------+---------+-------------+ | RACES. | MEN. | WOMEN. | DIFFERENCE. | +-----------------------------------+------+---------+-------------+ | Cavern of Homme-Mort. Neolithic | 1616 | 1507 | 109 | | Gallo-Bretons | 1599 | 1426 | 173 | | Auvergnats | 1598 | 1445 | 153 | | Spanish Basques | 1574 | 1356 | 218 | | Bas-Bretons | 1564 | 1366 | 198 | | Contemporary Parisians | 1558 | 1337 | 221 | | Guanches | 1557 | 1353 | 204 | | Corsicans | 1552 | 1367 | 185 | | Esquimaux | 1539 | 1428 | 111 | | Chinese | 1518 | 1383 | 135 | | Merovingians | 1504 | 1361 | 143 | | New Caledonians | 1460 | 1330 | 130 | | Negroes of West Africa | 1430 | 1281 | 179 | | Tasmanians | 1452 | 1201 | 251 | | Australians | 1347 | 1181 | 156 | | Nubians | 1329 | 1298 | 31 | +-----------------------------------+------+---------+-------------+