34 The Descent of Man. Part i. 



who had been brought up and spent their whole lives with the 

 wild Indians, who nevertheless did not equal them in the sharp- 

 ness of their senses. The same naturalist observes that the 

 cavities in the skull for the reception of the several sense-organs 

 are larger in the American aborigines than in Europeans ; and 

 this probably indicates a corresponding difference in the dimen- 

 sions of the organs themselves. Elumenbach has also remarked 

 on the large size of the nasal cavities in the skulls of the 

 American aborigines, and connects this fact with their remarkably 

 acute power of smell. The Mongolians of the plains of Northern 

 Asia, according to Pallas, have wonderfully perfect senses ; and 

 Prichard believes that the great breadth of their skulls across 

 the zygomas follows from their highly-developed sense-organs. 32 

 The Quechua Indians inhabit the lofty plateaux of Peru ; and 

 Alcide d'Orbigny states 33 that, from continually breathing a 

 highly rarefied atmosphere, they have acquired chests and lungs 

 of extraordinary dimensions. The cells, also, of the lungs are 

 larger and more numerous than in Europeans. These observa- 

 tions have been doubted ; but Mr. D. Forbes carefully measured 

 many Aymaras, an allied race, living at the height of between 

 10,000 and 15,000 feet ; and he informs me s * that they 

 differ conspicuously from the men of all other races seen by him 

 in the circumference and length of their bodies. In his table of 

 measurements, the stature of each man is taken at 1000, and the 

 other measurements are reduced to this standard. It is here 

 seen that the extended arms of the Aymaras are shorter than 

 those of Europeans, and much shorter than those of Negroes. 

 The legs are likewise shorter ; and they present this remarkable 

 peculiarity, that in every Aymara measured, the femur is actually 

 shorter than the tibia. On an average, the length of the femur 

 to that of the tibia is as 211 to 252 ; whilst in two Europeans, 

 measured at the same time, the femora to the tibiae were as 244 

 to 230 ; and in three Negroes as 258 to 241. The humerus is 

 likewise shorter relatively to the forearm. This shortening of 

 that part of the limb which is nearest to the body, appears to be, 

 as suggested to me by Mr. Forbes, a case of compensation in 



Physiology,' &c, 1822, p. 404) on bach, vol. i. 1851, p. 311; for the 



this same subject. M. Giraud-Teulon statement by Pallas, vol. iv. 1844-, 



has recently collected (' Revue des p. 407. 



Cours Scientifiques,' 1870, p. 625) 33 Quoted by Prichard, ' Re- 

 a large and valuable body of evidence searches into the Phys. Hist, of Man- 

 proving that the cause of short- kind,' vol. v. p. 463. 

 sight, " Cest le travail assidu. de Zi Mr. Forbes' valuable paper is 

 vres." now published in the ' Journal of 

 * 2 Prichard, ' Phys. Hist, of Man- the Ethnological Sec. of London,' 

 kind,' on the authoritv of Blumen- new series, vol. ii. 1870, p. 193. 



