212 TEE DESCENT OF MAN [Part I. 



South America, of which he gave me specimens. These, 

 again, appeared larger and much softer than European lice. 

 Mr. Murray procured four kinds from Africa, namely from 

 the Negroes of the Eastern and Western coasts, from the 

 Hottentots and Caffres ; two kinds from the natives of 

 Australia ; two from North, and two from South America. 

 In these latter cases it may be presumed that the Pediculi 

 came from natives inhabiting different districts. With 

 insects slight structural differences, if constant, are gen- 

 erally esteemed of specific value : and the fact of the races 

 of man being infested by parasites, which appear to be 

 specifically distinct, might fairly be urged as an argument 

 that the races themselves ought to be classed as distinct 

 species. 



Our supposed naturalist, having proceeded thus far in 

 his investigation, would next inquire whether the races of 

 men, when crossed, were in any degree sterile. He might 

 consult the work 9 of a cautious and philosophical ob- 

 server, Prof. BroCa ; and in this he would find good evi- 

 dence that some races were quite fertile together; but 

 evidence of an opposite nature in regard to other races. 

 Thus it has been asserted that the native women of Aus- 

 tralia and Tasmania rarely produce children to European 

 men ; the evidence, however, on this head has now been 

 shown to be almost valueless. The half-castes are killed 

 by the pure blacks ; and an account has lately been pub- 

 lished of eleven half-caste youths murdered and burnt at 

 the same time, whose remains were found by the police. 10 



9 ' On the Phenomena of Hybridity in the Genus Homo,' Eng. trans- 

 lation, 1864. 



10 See the interesting letter by Mr. T. A. Murray, in the ' Anthropo- 

 log. Review,' April, 1868, p. liii. In this letter Count Strzelecki's state- 

 ment, that Australian women who have borne children to a white man 

 are afterward sterile with their own race, is disproved. M. A. de Qua- 

 trefages has also collected ('Revue des Cours Scientifiques,' March, 1869, 



