630 



RECORD OF SCIENCE FOR 1886. 



tor. It has, therefore, subjected itself to 

 the most diverse environments. The ques- 

 tion of acclimation in its widest and in its 

 most special sense is necessarily raised. 



In these migrations the human species 

 exposed to the action of new environments 

 could but be modified. This explains the 

 forma' ion of a certain number of races. 

 Facts of the same nature passing in our 

 day ought to arrest in a special mauuer 

 the attention of anthropologists. 



Crosses between human races in the past 

 have given rise to races whose origin has 

 been revealed by mixed characters im- 

 printed by the parent types. We have to 

 search the ethnic elements combined in 

 peoples of this class. 



Crosses between human races most di- 

 verse take place under our eyes. They 

 have given birth to population, which en- 

 larges from day to day and becomes more 

 and more developed. The study of these 

 populations presents a double and serious 

 interest in that it teaches us concerning 

 the past and permits us to look into the 

 future. 



All present populations have been more 

 or less modilicd, either by environments 

 or by crossing. The primitive type of we now recognize them, the problem of 

 humanity is lost. Even did it now exist primitive man has no existence, 

 we could not recognize it in default of 

 knowledge. Nevertheless, is it not possi- 

 ble to trace out some of the marks which 

 would characterize it ? • 



M. de Quatrefages justly draws attentiou to the fact tbat tlie argii- 

 meut between the mouogenists and poljgenists seems to leave out of 

 view the fact that there may be different species of man and yet may 

 have been only one original species. That is, in order to believe in more 

 than 0!ie human species it is not necessary for one to be a polygenist. 



PietroBelsanti,in his work on "Progressive Characters of the Euman 

 Sknll," exainiued fifty two crania of anthropoids and two hundred an.d 

 twenty of the lower races of men. Those studied were the following, 

 for which the results are given : 

 1. Inferior human races. 



Polyhedry accented, 197 in 200, or 89.5 per cent. 



Nasal bones atrophied, 171 in 214, or 79.9 j)cr cent. 



Nasal spine atrophied, 141 in 216, or 65.2 per cent. 



Alveolar arch in upsilon, 139 in 215, or 64.6 per cent. 



Osyeons crests well developed, 123 in 220, or 58.2 per cent. 



Sutures simple, 119 in 210, or .50.6 per cent. 



Pterion retlexed, 56 in 214, or 10.8 per cent. 



Wormian bones pterique, 65 in 214, or 30.4 per cent. 



Volumes of three molars enlarged, 10 in 113, er 8.8 per cent. 



to live in the environments which eucom- 

 l>ass them. There is no general question 

 of acclimating. We have only to study 

 the special cases resulting from the expan- 

 sion of modern population. 



The different human species have ap- 

 peared with all the characteristics now 

 marking them. Change of environment 

 could not alter these. We are not to search 

 how these distinctive characters could be 

 brought out. 



Populations with mixed characters are, 

 like the rest, distinct species and au- 

 tochthonous. One need not disturb him- 

 self, therefore, about their pretended eth- 

 nic origins. 



Crosses among human species can have 

 no durable consequences. The resulting 

 peoples would remain stationary or dis- 

 appear if the crossing ceased. Their 

 study possesses, therefore, no serious in- 

 terest for us. 



All the human species having appeared 

 with their appropriate characters, such as 



