20 THE VARIETIES OF THE HUMAN SPECIES. 



nor characteristics. Meanwhile it is useful to know and describe 

 the " varieties " under this name, with the purpose of learning their 

 distribution in the various regions of the earth. 



With the present uncertainty about human varieties, I could 

 have no intention of publishing a work which would treat of gen- 

 eral theories, nor would I have thought of the present pamphlet 

 had not necessity demanded it. This essay is only designed to give 

 direction to the method of research, because many students have 

 requested it, and in order to place before the public ideas and 

 facts which others either misunderstand or condemn without 

 knowing them. 



Calling the typical forms of the cranium " varieties," we have 

 the advantage of finding the differences or individual variations 

 of the same type, and also certain differences which cannot be 

 reduced to individual variations, but which are equally repeated 

 as diverging characteristics of the same variety: these constitute 

 subordinate groups or " subvarieties." The " sub variety " there- 

 fore diverges from the " variety " by a new characteristic which it 

 retains in a persistent manner. We have an easy means of recog- 

 nizing varieties and subvarieties, and of distinguishing them 

 from individual variations. The latter are not repeated, or if there 

 is repetition it is accidental; varieties are repeated by groups 

 more or less large, which, in addition,, have individual variations; 

 the subvarieties also repeat in lesser groups that characteristic or 

 those characteristics of the variety from which they are derived. 



One of the difficulties of craniologists is how to find the limits 

 of individual variations, how to distinguish them from typical 

 forms, or to admit that all cranial variations may be individual, 

 especially if one population is studied without reflecting that any 

 population is invariably a composition of many varieties, notwith- 

 standing the misleading appearance of the external form and the 

 exterior characteristics. We can clearly and easily distinguish by 

 my method the individual variations from the true and constant 

 varieties and from the subvarieties, and we can make a complete 

 analysis of populations, as I have had numerous occasions to 

 demonstrate. 



Another prejudice of anthropologists is that human varieties, 

 determined by my method, may be too numerous. The scientist 

 cannot, indeed, free himself of certain sentiments which are 



