10 The Rev. P. Keith on the Structure of Aiiimals. 



is still well adapted to their form and condition ; for in that 

 case his face would have been depressed to a parallel with, or 

 even to an angle beyond, the level of the horizon, and his look 

 turned neither forwards nor backwards, nor to the one side, 

 but directly downwards. ' It could not then have been said 

 that he was made to contemplate the heavens. But the ine- 

 quality that is so notoriously evident in the length of our legs 

 and arms, together with their mode of articulation and flexure, 

 aftbrds proof sufficient that nature never intended man either 

 to walk or stand except upon his feet only, and that, partly at 

 least, for the purpose of giving elevation to the head. 



If we look at its expansion of countenance, we shall find 

 that the head most nobly vindicates its preeminence over all 

 the other portions of the human fabric, and conspicuously exalts 

 the dignity of man. The amplitude of the forehead ; the ex- 

 pression of the eyebrow; the fire and brilliancy of the eye; 

 the bold and manly, or the delicate and feminine, profile of 

 the nose ; the blush and dimple of the cheek ; the witchery of 

 the smile; and the lovely contour of the chin; are attributes 

 of man's countenance that are palpable to every one, and are 

 the perpetual theme of the admiration, whether of the lover or 

 of the philosopher. To this we ought also to add that inter- 

 minable diversity of feature and of lineament so remarkable in 

 the human face, that out of the countless millions of man- 

 kind possessing all that closeness of resemblance and all that 

 striking similitude of form that are necessary to determine 

 the species, or even the variety, no two individuals have ever 

 yet been found so exactly alike as to make it a matter of any 

 great difficulty to distinguish the one from the other. 



Philosophers reduce the peculiar traits of countenance t!:at 

 characterize the several races of mankind to certain manifest 

 varieties, of which the following are the most important: 1st, 

 The Caucasian, whence the European variety : countenance 

 oval; features delicately blended ; forehead high and broad; 

 nose aquiline ; cheek-bones not prominent ; complexion fair. 

 2nd, The Mongolian variety : face broad and flat ; nose flat ; 

 space between the eyes wide; chin prominent; complexion 

 olive. 3rd, The American variety : visage broad, but not flat; 

 cheek-bones prominent; forehead short; eyes deeply fixed; 

 nose flattish, but prominent; countenance red or of a copper 

 tint. 4th, I'he Negro variety : face narrow, projecting in the 

 lower part; forehead narrow, retreating, arched; eyes pro- 

 minent; nose and lips thick; complexion black. 5th, The Ma- 

 lay variety : face not so narrow as in the Negro, projecting 

 downwards; nose bottled ; mouth large ; complexion tawny*. 

 * Bkimenbach*s Fhi/s., by Elliotson, p. 391. 



