(compounded of μακρός "great," and κεφάλη "head," denotes a person with a head larger or longer than the common size. Macrocephali, or Long-heads, is a name given to a certain people, who, according to the accounts of authors, were famous for the unfeely length of their heads; yet custom so far habituated them to it, that instead of looking on it as a deformity, they esteemed it a beauty, and, as soon as the child was born, moulded and fashioned its head in their hands to as great a length as possible, and afterwards used all such rollers and bandages as might seem most likely to determine its growing long. The greater part of the islanders in the Archipelago, some of the people of Asia, and even some of those of Europe, still press their children's heads out lengthwise. We may observe also, that the Epirots, many people of America, &c., are all born with some singularity in the conformation of their heads; either a flatness on the top, two extraordinary protuberances behind, or one on each side; singularities which we can only regard as an effect of an ancient and strange mode, which at length is become hereditary in the nation. According to the report of many travellers, the operation of compressing the head of a child lengthwise, while it is yet soft, is with a view insensibly to enlarge the interval between the two eyes, so that the visual rays turning more to the right and left, the sight would embrace a much larger portion of the horizon; the advantage of which they are well acquainted with, either in the constant exercise of hunting, or on a thousand other occasions. Ever since the 16th century, the missionaries established in the countries inhabited by the savages of America, have endeavoured to destroy this custom; and we find in the decrees of the third council of Lima, held in 1585, a canon which expressly prohibits it. But if it has been repressed one way, the free negroes and Maroons, although Africans, have adopted it, since they have been established among the Caribs, solely with the view of distinguishing their children, which are born free, from those who are born in slavery. The Omaquas, a people of South America, according to P. Veigh, press the heads of their children so violently between two planks that they become quite sharp at the top, and flat before and behind. They say they do this to give their heads a greater resemblance to the moon.