Árbók Háskóla Íslands - 02.01.1925, Side 259

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lower cephalic index than the Norwegians in the Drontheim
districts. Has the index perhaps undergone a change since tlie
colonization, or is the difference effected by the colonists from
the Briti&h Isles? The simplest explanation is perhaps to be
found in Sars and Arbo’s conjecture, that especially the dölicho-
ceplialic people have emigrated to Iceland, chieftains and nobles
of comparatively pure Nordic descent. There is no marked
difference in the climate or means of subsistence m these
countries and even the food of both peoples has been very
similar, so that the environment can hai’dly have made a change
in tlie cephalic index.
It appears as if there is a marked difference in the height
of the head, it being considerably greater in Norway than in
Iceland. Unfortunately it is questionable whether the difference
is so great as it appears, the measurements being taken by
somewhat different methods, but very likely the height of
the head is somewhat lower in Iceland than in Norway, since
the length and breadth of the head are greater. If the capacity
of the skull is calculated as a product of length, breadth and
height of the head, we get nearly the same figure for the Ice-
lánders and Norwegians.
The height of the head relative to the length of the head is
of course different in Iceland (63,9) and Norway (68.2), and
consequently the classification according to this index.
Icelanders Norweglans
Chamecephali (x.—72) 1,0 0,4
Orthocephali (72,0—75,0) 36,4 18,0
Hypsicephali (75,1—x) 62,6 81,6
Both peoples are mainly hypsicephalic, but the Norwegians
in a more marked degree.
The dimensions of the forehead are apparently some-
what different in Icelanders and Norwegians:
Ic.elanders Norwegians
Breadth oí the forehead 10,65 cm 11,1 cm
Height of the forehead 5,92 — 6,6 —
Transversal fronto-parietal index 69,11 — 72,8 —
I consider it doubtful if the difference be really so great as
the figures show, it being quite imperceptible by common
inspection. It may partly be caused by difference in methods
of measurement.
b) The face. The measurements of the autlior and
Halfdan Bryn are the following: