Chap. VII.] THE RACES OF MAN. 217 



many parts of the same continent he would meet with 

 the most complex crosses between Negroes, Indians, and 

 Europeans ; and such triple crosses afford the severest 

 test, judging from the vegetable kingdom, of the mutual 

 fertility of the parent-forms. In one island of the Pacific 

 be would find a small population of mingled Polynesian 

 and English blood ; and in the Viti Archipelago a popu- 

 lation of Polynesians and Negritos crossed in all degrees. 

 Many analogous cases could be added, for instance, in 

 South Africa. Hence the races of man are not sufficient- 

 ly distinct to coexist without fusion ; and this it is which, 

 in all ordinary cases, affords the usual test of specific dis- 

 tinctness. 



Our naturalist would likewise be much disturbed as 

 soon as he perceived that the distinctive characters of 

 every race of man were highly variable. This strikes 

 every one when he first beholds the negro-slaves in Brazil, 

 who have been imported from all parts of Africa. The 

 same remark holds good with the Polynesians, and with 

 many other races. It may be doubted whether any char- 

 acter can be named which is distinctive of a race and is 

 constant. Savages, even within the limits of the same 

 tribe, are not nearly so uniform in character as has often 

 been said. Hottentot women offer certain peculiarities, 

 more strongly marked than those occurring in any other 

 race, but these are known not to be of constant occurrence. 

 In the several American tribes, color and hairiness differ 

 considerably ; as does color to a certain degree, and the 

 shape of the features greatly, in the Negroes of Africa. 

 The shape of the skull varies much in some races ; 16 and 



p. 22) an interesting account of the success and energy of the Paulistas 

 in Brazil, who are a much crossed race of Portuguese and Indians, with 

 a mixture of the blood of other races. 



16 For instance with the aborigines of America and Australia. Prof 

 Iluxley gays (' Transact. Internat. Congress of Prehist. Arch.' 1868, p. 



