It is needless to quote more instances of these sorts of feelings, which are formed directly by the propensities and sentiments so soon as the appropriate objects are presented to them by Individuality, and of which Individuality, in its turn, being conscious, puts it into the form of a proposition or judgment, without the intervention of any process of reasoning. These are called, in ordinary language, the dictates of common feel. ing or common sense ; and the facility and accuracy with which they are formed depend partly upon the distinct comprehension of the objects, events, and circumstances which call them forth, and partly upon the proper balance of the feelings themselves, which are called into action in the course of the operation. It may happen that we may judge wrong in consequence of not understanding or not attending to all the circumstances, or we may judge wrong from some one or more of our feelings being in too great or too little activity, too powerful, or not powerful enough. If the circumstances are complicated, it may require some time to arrive at a correct judgment. The first appearance may lead us to form one judgment which subsequent information may lead us to alter; another and another circumstance may lead us to incline alternately to one or other side; and it is not until all the circumstances are fully known and sifted, and the different feelings which these tend to excite duly weighed and mutually appreciated, that a judgment is finally formed on which we can safely rest. This may be called the reasoning of Individuality. In this sort of reasoning the links are not cemented together by a chain, nor do we arrive at our conclusion by successive steps depending on one another they are, on the contrary, placed side by side; so that the addition of another link, instead of weakening the conclusion by removing it farther from the premises, adds additional force and strength to the connexion. But I shall not treat farther here of the share which Individuality has in reasoning, but delay what I have to say on that subject till I have finished the examination of the higher intellectual powers, and then I

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shall endeavour to show how the whole unite and co-operate towards the formation of what is called a chain of reasoning. I have not yet taken notice of the distinetion which is

supposed to exist between the Higher and Lower Individuality. It has been observed, that the space originally assigned to this organ is not always equally developed throughout, but sometimes the upper part, occupying the middle and lower part of the forehead, is much developed, while that part lying immediately between the root of the nose and the junction of the eyebrows is less so, and vice versa ; from which Dr Spurzheim and others have concluded that there are two organs. They are not agreed, however, as to the difference of their functions. Dr Spurzheim conceives that the lower organ is conversant with objects and the higher one with events. Mr Combe, on the other hand, states the result of his observations to be, that the lower organ is large in those who are extremely observant of what is occurring around them, and that the higher is large in those who are fond of general information, and who have a great talent of remembering facts recorded in books or narrated by men. Mr Welsh supposes that the lower may be the organ of motion ; but for this supposition I have seen no kind of evidence. Observations ate, perhaps, yet too limited to enable us to decide with any certainty ; but, perhaps, the opinions of Dr Spurzheim and Mr Combe may be both of them very nearly correct, and that, by a slight modification, they may be reconciled to one another. The talent for observing and remembering events, and that for collecting general information, and for remembering facts recorded in books and narrated by men, seem to be nearly, if not entirely, the same. The talent for observing objects, and for observing what is before our eyes, seem also much alike. Both faculties might seem to be explicable upon the principle that I have endeavoured to unfold, namely, the power of comprehending a combination of parts united so as to form a whole; only it is possible that in the lower this combining power may be more strictly confined to observing combina

tions of qualities and the higher combinations of parts ; or the lower may be limited to that sort of strict combination of parts and qualities which forms an individual object; the higher may extend to those larger and more extensive combinations which go to form a group, a series, or a system. This seems to correspond sufficiently with the observations both of Dr Spurzheim and Mr Combe. Dr Spurzheim has observed the upper organ large in those who are conversant with the details of history ; Mr Combe has observed it large in botanists and those who are fond of the study of natural objects. Both of these kinds of study depend upon grouping and combinations ; the one in the order of sequence, and the other in that of co-existence, while both seem to admit that the lower power takes notice of objects as insulated facts merely, as they stand by themselves, without any reference to other objects. It is also quite conformable to analogy, that the organ whose function is most extensive and general should occupy the higher and more eminent situation; that the lower power, which is most nearly connected with the perceptive powers of Form, Colour, &c., should lie contiguous to the organs of those powers; while the higher, which is more allied to the greater operations of intellect, should be contiguous to the organs of the reflective faculties. This is perhaps as near as we can come to the ascertainment of the different functions of the two Individualities in the present state of our knowledge.

ARTICLE VIII.

SKULL OF A CHINESE ASSASSIN, AND SKULL AND BILL OF THE TOUCAN BIRD OF PREY, IN THE MUSEUM OF THE PHRENOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

(The Donation of WILLIAM BREMNER, Esq., H. E. I. C. S.)

THERE is not in the collection of the Society a more valuable skull than the Chinese one now before us. Besides corresponding with the native type, of which we are now in possession of several specimens, indicating the Chinese character of pride and vanity, and exhibiting Form, Size, Individuality, Constructiveness, and Imitation, it displays, to extreme development, that unhappy combination of feelings which gives a tendency to revenge, even by murder; and, moreover, to commit murder without running the risk of resistance; in other words, by assassination. When the box containing the skull arrived from London, a Phrenologist present, who was only told that it was the head of a murderer, took it in his hands, and said that the murder would be by poison or assassination. The following account of it was immediately read from the letter of Mr Bremner, the donor, to Mr Simpson :

“London, 20th September, 1827. "DEAR SIR,-Here is the Chinese skull which you recommend"ed me sending to Mr Combe. The history briefly is, that the man was executed at Batavia, for murder committed from a revengeful "feeling towards a man, whom he stabbed in the dark, and merely on account of a suspicion he entertained of this person having done "him an injury; and so great was his cunning that he for some "time, indeed nearly altogether, escaped justice. According to my "promise I send you also a section of the Toucan's head and bill, "which I made with as much care as possible; but I observe there "is a little inflection of the saw-blade.'

The character of secret murder was inferred, as every Phrenologist knows, from an unusually preponderating aniVOL. V.-No XVIII.

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mal organization, especially in Destructiveness, with Combativeness or Courage deficient, Secretiveness very large, and Cautiousness large even to deformity. To such a brain it would have been very difficult to face the object of its revenge in mortal combat. But the excited animal sought gratification, and safe and secret stabbing in the dark was resorted to. It is said to have been done on suspicion only of injury. This comes from great Secretiveness, which leads to suspicion ; ånd, when diseased, produces that peculiar form of hypochondria which lives in constant belief of plots and conspiracies, and is so common in the most dangerous of all maniacs, the jealously-revengeful. Conscientiousness, in the skull of this unhappy being, is inferior to the selfish feelings,-an essential feature of the jealous character; and so small is Hope, and so large is Cautiousness, that we may conclude it probable that he presented a spectacle of gloomy and moody despondency. There is a rickety twist in the occipital region, which is not favourable, and this in addition to the great balance of animalism over the slender intellect, and yet more moderate human sentiments. The posterior lobe, or brain behind the ear, including Self-esteem, Love of Approbation, and Cautiousness, is excessive. The middle is likewise very large, occasioned by Secretiveness and Destructiveness; but the diminution is great and abrupt when we ascend to the human sentiments of Conscientiousness, Hope, Ideality, and Benevolence. The last-mentioned organ presents a very rapid slope from a large Veneration, which latter feeling in such a brain would be wofully misdirected and abused. The rapid slope of Benevolence gives an appearance of height to the forehead; but the strictly intellectual powers are very slender, and the forehead proper little better than villanously low." It is, besides, very narrow, not

“ much more than one-half of the breadth of the back of the head.

We may observe that the head is above Asiatic size, and