Biological Notes | Nature

BROCA'S STEREOGRAPH.—A very ingenious instrument for taking mathematically accurate drawings of human crania and other objects of natural history, known as Broca's stereograph, has been

lately presented to the College of Surgeons by the President, Mr. Prescott Hewett, which will prove a useful adjunct to the systematic study of the important anthropological collection now

contained in the museum. It was exhibited and its use demonstrated by Prof. Flower at his concluding lecture on the Comparative Anatomy of Man. Among recent additions to this department of

the collection are the valuable series of skulls of natives of New Guinea, collected by Dr. Comrie, Staff-Surgeon R.N. of H.M.S. Basilisk, described in the last number of the Journal of the

Anthropological Institute; also four of natives of the Navigation or Samoan Islands, presented by Dr. Pye Smith. On several occasions during the course, Prof. Flower pointed out the

necessity of far larger series of human skeletons and skulls than are at present contained in our museums, before our knowledge of physical anthropology can be placed on a satisfactory

basis, as the individual variations are so great that it is only when a considerable series of any race are brought together that their Jrue characteristics can be determined.

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: