ON THE VARIETIES OF THE HUMAN RACE. 93 



side of the mean valve, which is given in the diagrams, and this particularly 

 happens about the position of maximum velocity. This oscillation has its 

 origin in an irregularity of the instrument. The plate which carries the card 

 does not revolve with a perfectly uniform motion, the moving power being a 

 spring, and the regulating power the resistance of the air ; it is demonstrable 

 that any variation, however slight, in the effort of the former, must result in 

 an oscillation of the plate about a certain mean velocity corresponding to 

 that resistance of the air which will exactly counteract the newly-acquired 

 effort of the spring. 



It is desirable to take this opportunity of acknowledging that the thanks of 

 the Committee are particularly due to Mr. Wicksteed and his sub-engineer, 

 Mr. Price, for the accommodation rendered at Old Ford ; to Mr. Cowper, of 

 Kind's College, for his kind and able assistance in the experiments ; to Mr. 

 Holtzapffel and Mr. Timme for the attention paid to the repairs and adjust- 

 ments of the machine ; and to Mr. Penn, of Greenwich, for the loan of an 

 excellent indicator. H. Moseley. 



E. HODGKINSON. 



J. S. Enys. 

 London, April 1844. William Pole (Reporter). 



Report of the Committee to investigate the Varieties of the Human Race, 



The Committee report that copies of the arranged queries have been for- 

 warded to the remotest parts of North America, in the neighbourhood of the 

 Rocky Mountains, to Mexico, Guiana, and to several of the States in South 

 America ; to the West Indies, to Western, Southern and Northern Africa, to 

 different localities in Asia, the Indian Archipelago, and several of the Islands 

 of the Pacific Ocean. They have, for the most part, been addressed to indi- 

 viduals, and accompanied with communications of greater or less extent, 

 urging the importance of the subject. 



Sets of queries have likewise been forwarded to scientific gentlemen, who 

 have either visited races but imperfectly known, or have made ethnological 

 research a part of their studies. In former years, answers have been furnished 

 by travellers particularly acquainted with the sections of the human race to 

 which they related. The correspondence on the subject has produced com- 

 munications relating to it which have contained various points of information. 



It is a gratifying fact that ethnology is now receiving systematic attention 

 in France, Germany, and the United States, and that in this country it is also 

 advancing. 



The Ethnological Society of London, of which the commencement was 

 announced at the meeting of the Association last year, is now regularly con- 

 stituted, and it is greatly to be desired that mutual assistance may long con- 

 tinue to advance the study, and rescue from oblivion many interesting facts, 

 of which without prompt attention no record will remain. 



With the exception of the sums required to defray the bills for printing 

 the queries, no demand has been made upon the grants awarded to the Com- 

 mittee in former years. Strict ceconomy has been employed in the distribu- 

 tion, advantage having been taken of private opportunities and other channels 

 requiring no expense on the part of the Association, and numerous small sums 

 have been laid out of which no account has been charged. 



Of the £15 granted last year, the sum of £7 6s. 3d. has been drawn upon 

 the Treasurer to cover the expense of postage, lithography and stationery. 



Thomas Hodgkin. 



