OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 7 , 



Peirce, J. I. Bowditch, Lovering, Treadwell, Alger, J. Bige- 

 low, Agassiz, H. I. Bowditch, Bowen, Felton, Everett, Eirot. 



On motion of Dr. B. A. Gould, it was 



" Voted, That, with a view to the speedy and permanent adoption of 

 some classification of the Academy into Sections, the arrangement as 

 already reported by the committee be printed for better examination 

 by Fellows." 



Professor Agassiz called the attention of the Academy to 

 some facts in natural history throwing light upon and illus- 

 trating the diversity of origin of the human race. 



In the first place, he showed that there were a number of 

 animals, among which were particularly to be instanced the 

 anthropoid monkeys, which offered the same difficulties to the 

 zoologist in classifying them that are offered by the different 

 human races. The orang-outangs, which have been divided 

 by some into four species, have been considered by other 

 naturalists as forming but a single one. The genus of long- 

 armed orangs (Hylobates) is considered by some as contain- 

 ing eleven species, while others make but two or three. The 

 lions of Asia and Africa, which, resembling one another too 

 closely to permit of a proper distinction as two species, present 

 points of difference far too marked to allow the idea of any 

 genetic connection. Mr. Agassiz also instanced several other 

 analogous cases among vertebrated animals. 



Secondly, the areas within which the several varieties of 

 such animals are confined are not very different in extent 

 from those within which distinct human nationalities have 

 been developed and have fulfilled their respective missions, 

 such as Greece, Italy, Spain, &c. 



The languages of different races of men were neither more 

 different nor more similar than the sounds characteristic of 

 animals of the same genus, and their analogy can no more be 

 fully accounted for on any hypothesis of transmission or tradi- 

 tion than in the case of birds of the same genus, uttering sim- 

 ilar notes in Europe and in America. 



In the last place, Mr. Agassiz spoke of the character of the 



