THE VARIETIES OF THE HUMAN SPECIES. 1 9 



of tlie cranium itself, and that some difference, qften difficult to 

 describe or explain, exists among the elements of the groups; 

 and this difference is derived precisely from the individual varia- 

 tions of the groups themselves. While the character of individual 

 variations is transitory, the character of those which give typical 

 forms is permanent; their persistence consists in being hereditar}' 

 and numerous in each generation. 



We know that the so-called " species " of the animal kingdom 

 have forms derived from some variations of characteristics, and 

 that they are such because the variations from the mother-species 

 are permanent and become transmitted by heredity. These 

 forms may be called " varieties " of the " species," or races, accord- 

 ing to some, or subspecies, according to others. We will call 

 them '* varieties," because the name indicates their immediate 

 origin. According to Darwin, a variety is a species in the process 

 of formation, because it still bears many characteristics of the 

 species from which it is derived, and cannot become an inde- 

 pendent form, like the species itself, until it acquires still more 

 diverging characteristics. 



If we apply this principle to the human cranium, we should 

 first learn if man comprises a single species, as many anthropo- 

 logists believe, or has many species. In the first case, the typical 

 variations of the cranium would certainly be varieties; if, however, 

 there are several human species, the problem becomes more com- 

 plicated. In that case the varieties might be of one species, and 

 a primitive type be found to which it is allied. But if of such 

 primitive types there were several, these would form several 

 species which should be grouped under one genus. 



I cannot venture the solution of the general question regarding 

 the unity or plurality of the human species, considering the actual 

 state of my personal observations, limited to Southern Europe, 

 especially the Mediterranean, to Oriental Europe, and to the 

 Kourgans of Russia. I should examine Asia, Africa, Oceanica, 

 America, Central and Northern Europe, before being able to give 

 an opinion on such a problem. I will call therefore varieties only, 

 human varieties, the typical forms of the cranium which are 

 clearly distinguished from each other by their own and diverging 

 characteristics, while I will suppose that such varieties may con- 

 verge in different species, of which I cannot now give the, type 



