12 THE VARIETIES OF THE HUMAN SPECIES. 



Stature. — The stature is a good, but an insufficient characteristic, 

 because it gives only linear differences, and in its value resembles 

 greatly other external characteristics, and is associated with all the 

 most dissimilar derived from the skeleton. 



Face. — The face offers very important characteristics for classi- 

 fication, because it shows typical differences in the ethnic groups. 

 The face has given more points for the distinction of human types 

 than the other parts of the human body, and would appear better 

 adapted for that purpose than the cerebral cranium. But the face 

 is more disposed to individual variations than any other part, 

 because it is very complex, being composed of numerous small 

 bones, clothed with muscles which have continuous and important 

 functions relating to the physiognomy, to the expression of psychi- 

 cal conditions, and to the nutritive functions. These facts render 

 its typical form less constant, and are, or may be, the cause of a 

 multiplication of types. 



Cranium. — The cerebral cranium is itself also liable to varia- 

 tions. More than any other organ, it exhibits a phenomenon 

 often observed and clearly demonstrated by me, that is, the per- 

 sistence of forms from immemorial epochs, and their reproduction 

 through numerous generations notwithstanding amalgamation 

 with other types. I have demonstrated such a persistence of 

 cranial forms in the varieties of the Mediterranean from the Neo- 

 lithic and from the most ancient Egyptian epochs; other anthro- 

 pologists have recognized such persistence in European types of 

 the Quaternary epoch, and in others, very ancient, from America. 

 This cannot be said of the structure of the face. 



Therefore if the human cranium is accepted as the basis for the 

 classification of human groups, positive results may be had: 



1st. In groups which have been subjected to mixture in what- 

 ever epoch or however many times, the distinctive ethnic elements 

 may be discerned by examining the cerebral cranium only, which, 

 remaining unaltered in type, may be found united by hybridism 

 with other internal and external characteristics. For the cranium 

 is the point about which revolve all other variations of form, either 

 in hybridism or in the human form itself. 



2d. Knowing the cranial types of a people who seem more or 

 less homogeneous, we are sure of learning of what and how many 

 ethnic elements it is composed, notwithstanding the hybridism 

 present. 



