ANTHROPOLOGY. 881 



Some experiuuMits highly interostins; to physiologists ura reportod 

 ill i\Ir, Friiiu'is Galtou's vice-presidential address before the British 

 Association. By using a very large number of family records some 

 resnlts regarding stature are made to appear. As with seeds so with 

 men, "oflf'si^riug did not tend to resemble their parent seed in size, but 

 to be always more mediocre than they — to be smaller than the parents, 

 if the parents were large ; to be larger than the parents, if the parents 

 were small." An analysis of the family records gives the numerical 

 value of the regression towards mediocrity as from one to two thirds 

 with unexpected coherence and precision. 



The most remarkable production of the j'ear in the field of biological 

 anthropology is Dr. Paul Topinard-s Elements d'Anthropologie Gene- 

 rale, an octavo of 1157 pages, 229 figures, and 5 plates. The volume 

 covers the history of anthropology, the discussion of the general i)rin- 

 ciples, and a minute account of anthropological methods regarding the 

 hair, color of eyes and hair and skin, height, the encephalon, the cra- 

 nium, and closing with anthropometry upon the living. Only a few of 

 Dr. Topinard's results can be appended. Taking the section of the hair 

 or crinal index as a primary classific concept, he gives the table below : 



1. Hair straight, section more or less round, scarce on the face and body: Yellou 

 and red races of Asia and America. 



2. Hair nappy or very spiral, section more or less elliptical : Negro races of Africa 

 and Oceanica. 



:?. Hair more or less curled or wavy, oval in section : Eurhpean races, Anstraliaus, 

 Nubians, &c. 



The next concept is the nasal index, to which Dr. Topinard attaches 

 great importance. Adding this to the color of the skin we have : 



Leptorrhines. White ^ Hyperleptorrhine. Anglo-Scandinavian (Kyniri). 



(living.) races. -^ Leptorrhiue (non aquiline). Celts. 



09 and less. [Leucoid.] ( Leptorrhiue (aquiline). Semites. 



Mesorrhines. Yellow C Flat ^ Leptorrhiue (cranial). Eskimo. 

 (living.) races. < noses. ^ Mesorrhine (cranial). Yellow races of Asia. 



70 to Hi '4. [Xanthoid.]( Salient nose. Redskins. 



Plafyrrhines. Black ( Well formed nose. African negroes. 



(living.) races. < xr „ -^.i i ^ Mtilanosians and Aiis- 



s/aud above. [Mclanoid]. ( ^^«« ««^^««' ^'^^ enormous ahe. j tralians. 



The nasal index on the living is the ratio between the length oi the 

 nose from the root to the outer insertion of the septum and the width 

 outside of the ala3. 



The subject of color is further discussed in its relation to the eyes and 

 hair and the races grouj)ed as below : 



Eyes, color : Hair, color : 



1. Black and blackish, different, .shades. 1. Absolutely black. 



2. Green. 2. Dark brown. 



:'.. Hazel. 3. Clear chestnut. 



•1. Bliu! and clear of difi'orcnt sliii les, hi- 4. {a) Blonde, yellowish, 

 eluding clear gray. (h) Blonde, reddish. 



(c) Blonde, ashy. 

 (rf) Blondt?, clear. 

 5. Red. 



