THAN SACTION S. 



The Geological and Geographical Distribution of the 



Human Race. 



By Nathaniel Holmes. 



Until quite recently the consideration of the Human Family 

 has been for the most part restricted to existing races as they 

 were found distributed over the surface of the earth within the 

 historical period. Modern discoveries in archaeology and geology 

 have given rise to what is called Prehistoric Man. The strict 

 methods of science, admitting nothing but the dry, discrete facts 

 of actual observation, and jealously eschewing everything that 

 savors of speculation, tends to produce narrow views even of 

 the Prehistoric period. There is no reason why anthropology 

 should not invoke the aid of all other sciences. If one kind of 

 scientific proof be unattainable, other kinds of evidence, surely, 

 maybe resorted to. Especially, the whole science of zoology may 

 properly be brought into requisition. And if this were not enough, 

 it is not easy to see why metaphysical science should not come 

 to our aid as well ; for the nature of man is both physical and 

 metaphysical. 



The recent work of Mr. Wallace,* in a manner supplementing 

 the instructive labors of Mr. Darwin, may help to enlarge the 

 scientific horizon on this subject. The distribution of the human 

 races, geologically, or geographically, did not come within the 

 scope of his special purpose ; but his important demonstrations 

 with regard to all classes of animals below man may certainly 

 be taken as affording solid grounds for more definite and reliable 

 conclusions in reference to the human race as well. Looking far 

 back into the Tertiary period, Mr. Wallace divides the land areas 



* The Geographical Distribution of Animals. By Alfred Russell Wallace. London, 

 1S76. 



iv — I [Mar. 23, 1879. 



