PHRENOLOGICAL NOTES.— THE MAUNGA. TAPU MURDERERS.

The following phrenological notes were taken in the Magistrate!* Court, on the 26th of June, at the first examination of Burgess, Kelly, Sullivan, and Levy, and were read at a meeting of the Nelson Phrenological Society, on the 3rd of July last : — Bcboiss.— Large energetic brain. Great firmness of charactor. Unbounded self-reliance. All his actions are characterized by caution. His reasoning or reflective faculties do not rise above mediocrity*; but his great resolution, self-satisfaction, and cautiousness, together with a full development of the perceptive faculties, enable him to take the lead in any desperate adventure, and carry it successfully through at all hazards. lie is not susceptible to pity or kindncs< j he cannot imbibe or retain kind impressions. A concurrence of circumstances — though it may compel him to yield to fear or interest, and actuate him to turn from one intention to another—will seldom occur in which this man will be moved to pity or kindness ; it is a stranger to his constitution. Compassion never made him relent, and no appeal, however impassioned, over found a shadow of responjo in his mind. Human life ho would value not, if it stood in his way— stood between him and the object of his wishes. This is one of those heads which, according to Shakespeare, Ii flt for murder, itraUgem, and spoil. He will be cautious in forming his plans of operation, but determination will bo added to cautiousness in their execution. Pity for his victim, the fear of consequences in reference to his own life, or tho threats and denunciations of those with whom he may come in contort, would have no force, no efficacy in restraining his cruel, relentless, and determined will. In his contact with mankind, his will, comfort, happiness and interest will often clash or be opposed by those of others. The action will •rouse his feelings ; and, having no benevolence to restrain his useful but ill-directed energies, he, to gratify his passions, will spare neither friend nor foe } and through all after life, will bo dead to compunction ; no act, word, or look shall ever escape him expressive of contrition. This unconcern arises partly from defective moral faculties, making him a stranger to kindly feelings j partly from a deficiency of the social group of organs, with perhaps a long course of immoral training, and the possession of faculties giving energy, self-importance, and firmness. He is one of those on whom ministers of religion will make little impression in tho hour of death. If condemned to die, he will not pine and fret at tho thought of yielding up his life— this organ not being easily seen during life, and, as far as I can recognise it in the distance, is but moderately developed — and thff thought of the lons of life will not affect the mind to any appreciable extent. His love of the pleasure* of the table is moderate, and he is not one of those who could bo induced by the strength of social feeling to revel in debaucheries. His attachments are formed through the ties of interest and necessity rather than those of instinctive feeling. The faculty marked number one on the bust, is, as far as I see it at a distance, largely developed ; but his love of children is not in proportion to the former, tho faculty giving this feeling being small. Kxixy. — Good reflecting intellect, endowed with good forethought, and capable of forming schemes and expeditions, but not so capable of carrying them into execution as Burgess or Sullivan. This brain can plan more in reference to causo and effect, than tho brain of Burgess, but it has not tho practical working energy of the latter. It is less determined, and far less cautious j but this is somewhat counterbalanced by a capacity of reasoning— a dwelling on cause and effect— bringing and keeping the consequences of actions beforo tho eyo of the mind. Ho will not be so instinctively enreful of his words or actions, nor so determinedly obstinate whrn opposed, nor so proud, defiant, nor so self-possessed in general bearing as Burgess. And in the perpetration of crime will not when Burgess is present, take the load, but allow himself to be controlled by the superior energy, daring, and hardihood of one such as Burgess. His brain is one that is more influenced by ultimate conclusions — not through instinctive power or cautiousness, urging its emotions forward for gratification, bat by a reasoning process of ratiocination. BCLIIVAK.— This is a thorough working intellect, unlike that which is possossed by Kelly. It has considerable energy and vivacity, but less strength and less steadiness than those of Burgess and Kelly. This brain perceives quickly, is keen and active, ami more allied to that of Burgess than to that of Kelly. It has not tho staid depth of the latter brain, nor the terrible energy of that of the former, but it fur surpasses both in activity. Sullivan will not show the unyielding front to opposition, nor the self-com-manding, self-sustaining power at all times displayed by Burgess, but especially when opposed. This brain finds delight in the common occurrences of evory-duv society. It will notice and retail more of the small talk, and show more versatility than Burgess and Kelly. What ho undertakes to do, he will do quickly and efficiently s will be a ready and willing worker, be more active, playful, and hopeful than his companions just mentioned. In suggestive as in practical activity, he will fur surpass both ; will be ready in tonguo, and suggest expedients ere his mates, especially Kelly and Levy, have time to evolve their own thoughts. This activity will not often sway the minds of his mates— except it be that of Levy— never that of Burgess, but will serve as a ready, useful, and necessary instrument to advance their designs. His brain has not much of the criminal stamp, like that of Burgess ; has more kindliness, will feel pity, and show more mercy to his victims. In the accomplishment of designs he will take the lead, where alertness or nimblencss is required ; but in hardihood, in bravery, in obstinacy, in cold-blood-edness, he is far inferior to Burgess. His quickness in expedients, his readiness to further schemes where profit is to be acquired, will make him a useful member where these, qualities are required. For a nest of thieves, he would ferret out spoil ; for a gang of murderers, he would make a plausible decoy. In all his actions he will bo actuated by an instinctive sense of circumspection, of caution, of fear; not so much that fear which springs from, and is a deduction of reason, but that which flows spontaneously from a high development of tho faculty of cautiousness. However expert, however clever nnd dextrrous he may be in applying means to an end, he will not riso to be a leader when such a man as Burgrss is present. L»VT.— The knowing organs are very largely developed in this brain. Tho owner of it is not given to much reflection. Such a head as this ia very common in society ; it has no force- of characternothing to distinguish it from thousands like itself, to be found in any quarter of society. It will make no impression in life, and leave no vestige of its existence behind it 5 and is itself little influenced by passing events. Now and then it may be heard of by the occurrence of some extraordinary event, not of its own making, which brings it into notice, not on account of any circumstance created by it, but on account of some secondary connexion with tho primary agents, which chance, perhaps, more than choice, threw in the way. The owner of this brain will never take the lead in actions, greatly good or bad, and must be led to the one or the other. When in the company of men of a criminal stamp of brain, or in tho company of those to whom habit has rendered crime familiar — men who lightly reckon the enormity of deeds at which society would stand appalled —he may boast of what ho could or would do in tho same line, that he might appear, in their eyes, to be no less brave or great in such deeds than themselves. But force of brain, energy of character, and all the concomitant effects flowing from such are, by Nature, denied to this man ; any boasting, any bravado which may appear from time to time in his intercourse with his companions, must not be reckoned as springing from a naturally criminal stamp of brain, but from a wish to appear for the time to bis companions to bo on a par with themselves. This roan would have passed through life with satisfaction to himself and others had circumstances thrown him into the sphere of virtuous society. There is not, as far as I can see and judge at s> distance, any great inborn propensity to crime.

Boboess, Kelly, Sullivan, and Levt coMPAnm. Tho brain of Burgess will produce by far the greatest villain. Whatever his education might have been, in whatever society he may at first have moved, his want of kindness, his obstinacy, and inclination to evil, would prevail. This man, when onco initiated in crime, will feel no repugnance at the greatest monstrosity, and those deeds at which ordinary criminals would shrink, will by him be committed with the greatest unconcern. Kelly is more designing, more thoughtful and deep, though less cautious, than Burgess. He will be an able coadjutor to Burgess. The one will not be n servant to the other, but an able assistant. Kelly is more staid, has less reserve, and less quickness than Burgess. He is less brave, less determined, and has more fear of the consequences of his actions than Burgess. His brain being nervous, will make him more sensitive than Burgess. The brain of Sullivan is also nervous and bilious ; taken with the conformation of the hrain, he will be quick, active, keen ; will perceive quickly what passes around him ; would make an admirable spy, servant, or right-hand man to Burgess and Kelly. His caution is greater than that of Kelly, and equal to, if not greater, than that of Burgess. This caution, with his temperament, will at times present to his welldeveloped imagination powerful pictures of terror, which at times may disturb the equanimity of his mind, and produce visible effects upon his health. The last on the list is Levy ; this brain will not urge its owner forward to become a leading member in any ordinary community. He will make a good servant, but not one of the active kind like Sullivan. He potveives quickly all that takes place around, but his temperament being lymphatic, he will not possess tho sume activity in action, nor have ready command of that unfailing resource in cases of emergency which a brain like that of Sullivan bestows. What he would do in a gang of thieves or murderers would be done more by the command of Burgess and Kelly, and at the suggestion of Sullivan, than by his own wish or inclination. Burgess and Sullivan are tho most cautious of tho four, and Levy the least so. The two former will take means when they have the power to erase all traces of crime from their path. Note. — This is the reading of the development of the heads of these four men as they appeared to me in Court, at a distance of eight or ten yards, on the 26th of Juno, and written that same evening when the picturo was yet fresh in my mind. I have only given a general outline, as, from the position in which I sat I could not get a particular view of all the organs.