182 Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology. 



5. Stature of the Human Race, — Contrary to what occurs 

 among domestic animals, variations of stature in the human race 

 are included in much narrower limits than individual variations. 

 The size of women is less variable than that of men. They are 

 much smaller than men among people of large stature, while the 

 difference in size between the sexes is very small among people 

 of low stature. The people who are most remarkable for their 

 great height, generally inhabit the southern hemisphere, and, as 

 lias long been known, those who are distinguished for lowness 

 of stature almost all reside in the northern hemisphere. Among 

 the people of the greatest height some live on the southern part 

 of the American continent, others in various archipelagos of the 

 Southern Ocean ; and it may even be remarked that they thus 

 form in the southern hemisphere two series, one continental, the 

 other insular, both irregular and often interrupted, but com- 

 mencing in each at eight or ten degrees of south latitude, and 

 terminating at about fifty degrees. There exist, however, in 

 the southern hemisphere, people whose height is below the mean, 

 and reciprocall}f in the northern, those whose height surpasses 

 the mean. Now, in comparing the geographical position of 

 these people with those who are extremely tall or extremely 

 short, we arrive at the result apparently paradoxical, and yet in 

 part of easy explanation, that the short race live almost every 

 where near the tallest nations, and reciprocally, the tallest peo- 

 ple near those nations who are the most remarkable for their 

 low stature. The diversity of stature in the human race may 

 be explained (but in part only) by the influence of climate, of 

 dietetic regimen and mode of life. It is at least extremely pro- 

 bable that the size of the race, notwithstanding some local varia- 

 tions, has not sensibly diminished ; and this, not only from the 

 concurrence of so many kinds of proofs as are derivable from 

 historical evidence from the earliest known periods, but from 

 considerations of science, in the absence of all monuments, it 

 may be inferred that there has been no material change since 

 the origin of mankind. — Isidore Geqffroy Saint Hilaire, Rev, 

 Encyc. Jan. 



6. Gelatine of Bones. — A memoir presented to the French 

 Academy, by Mr Donne, having thrown some doubt upon the 



