MANNER OF DEVELOPMENT. 3^ 



These observations have been doubted ; but Mr. D. Forbes 

 carefully measured many Aymaras, an allied race, living at 

 the height of between 10,000 and 15,000 feet ; and he in- 

 forms me * that they differ conspicuously from the men of 

 all other races seen by him in the circumference and length 

 of their bodies. In his table of measurements, the stature 

 of each man is taken at 1,000, and the other measurements 

 are reduced to this standard. It is here seen that the ex- 

 tended arms of the Aymaras are shorter than those of 

 Europeans, and much shorter than those of Negroes. 

 The legs are likewise shorter ; and they present this 

 remarkable peculiarity, that in every Aymara me<isured, 

 the femur is actually shorter than the tibia. On an 

 average, the length of the femur to that of the tibia is as 

 211 to 252 ; while in two Europeans, measured at the same 

 time, the femora to the tibiae were as 244 to 230 ; and in 

 three Negroes as 258 to 241. The humerus is likewise 

 shorter relatively to the forearm. This shortening of that 

 part of the limb which is nearest to the body, ajjpears to 

 be, as suggested to me by Mr. Forbes, a case of compensa- 

 tion in relation with the greatly increased length of the 

 trunk. The Aymaras present some other singular points 

 of structure, for instance, the very small projection of the 

 heel. 



These men are so thoroughly acclimatized to their cold 

 and lofty abode, that when formerly carried down by the 

 Spaniards to the low eastern plains, and when now tempted 

 down by the high wages to the gold-washings, they suffer a 

 frightful rate of mortality. Nevertheless Mr. Forbes found 

 a few pure families which had survived during two genera- 

 tions : and he observed that tliey still inherited their char- 

 acteristic peculiarities. But it was manifest, even without 

 measurement, that these peculiarities had all decreased ; 

 and on measurement, their bodies were found not to be so 

 much elongated as those of the men on the high plateau ; 

 while their femora had become somewhat lengthened, as 

 had their tibiae, although in a less degree. The actual 

 measurements may be seen by consulting Mr. Forbes' 

 memoir. From these observations, there can, I think, be 

 no doubt that residence during many generations at a great 



*Mr. Forbes' valuable paper is now publisLed in the "Journal of 

 the Ethnological Soc. of London," new series, vol. ii, 1870, p. 193. 



