Scientific Reviews. 35 



tour of different features, and even the general expression of the 

 countenance, seem frequently to be impressed upon the offspring 

 almost exclusively by one parent ; and they sometimes, like heredi- 

 tary diseases, after sleeping for one or two generations, appear at in- 

 tervals with their original distinctness. But has not everyone equally 

 remarked the constant occurrence of the united characters of both 

 parents, the father's hair and eyes, and the mother's nose and lips, 

 the paternal forehead, and the maternal high cheekbones ? Such 

 conjunctions have often fallen within the sphere of our observation ; 

 and we think that Mr. Edwards has generalized a series of facts, 

 which will be found to be opposed by an equal number of objections. 

 And if it be true, as we believe, that, in mixed races, hereditary 

 characters preserve no regularity, but, on the contrary, are liable 

 to the greatest confusion, (of which let this island serve as an ex- 

 ample,) we shall in vain expect to trace amongst the population, 

 the form and colour of the primitive stocks. 



The influence of progressive civilization, on the forms and com- 

 plexions of the human race, is important as a cause of change, and 

 probably is not so " absolutely unknown" as Mr. Edwards would 

 assume. Who has not observed the changes which take place in 

 the boor, when translated from the rude society of his village to 

 the civilized atmosphere of cities? His colour becomes lighter 

 and more delicate, his features refined, and the rudiments of deeper 

 changes are apparent in his altered form. The domestication of 

 animals, analogous to the civilization of man, has produced still 

 more marked differences, till the original types of the horse, the 

 ox, the dog, are lost in the numerous varieties, whose production is 

 attributable to this source alone. Mr. Edwards admits, that the 

 removal from a savage to a civilized state may develope a new cha- 

 racter, or destroy one previously existing ; " but this question," 

 says he, " does not relate to our inquiry, since it refers to a period 

 so distant and obscure, that it lies beyond the limits of history," 

 (p. 35.) He has, however, found himself under the necessity of 

 admitting the power of organization to adapt itself to such a 

 change. 



We think then that, on examination, the principles which the 

 author of this essay would deduce from our present confined know- 

 ledge of the physiological characters of raecs, and apply to the de- 

 termination of historic doubts, will be found too unsettled and hypo- 

 thetical to warrant their admission amongst the axioms of science. 

 He has, however, with the same talent for which he is renowned 

 in other branches of natural history, applied his views to the in- 

 vestigation of the sub- varieties which are spread over certain parts 

 of France, Italy, England, and a portion of Switzerland, and the 

 countries of Eastern Europe ; and though it would be uncandid to 

 oppose any a priori arguments to the statements which he makes, 

 there is reason to believe that the results of his observations de- 

 pended essentially on the histories which he had perused. 



The subject is, however, open to inquiry, and requires the cor- 



