194 THE DESCENT OF MAN. 



Eastern and Western coasts, from the Hottentots and 

 Kaffirs; two kinds from tlie natives of Australia; two from 

 North and two from South America. In these latter cases 

 it may be presumed that the Pediculi came from natives 

 iniiabiting different districts. With insects slight struct- 

 ural differences, if constant, are generally esteemed of 

 specific value; and the fact of the races of man being in- 

 fested by parasites which appear to be specifically distinct 

 might fairly be urged as an argument that the races them- 

 selves ought to be classed as distinct species. 



Our supposed naturalist having proceeded thus far in his 

 investigation would next inquire whether the races of men, 

 when crossed, were in any degree sterile. He might con- 

 sult the work* of Prof. Broca, a cautious and philosophical 

 observer, and in this he would find good evidence that 

 some races were quite fertile together, but evidence of an 

 opposite nature in regard to other races. Thus it has been 

 asserted that the native women of Australia and Tasmania 

 rarely produce children to European men; the evidence, 

 however, on this head has now been shown to be almost 

 valueless. The half-castes are killed by the pure blacks; 

 and an account has lately been published of eleven half- 

 caste youths murdered and burned at the same time whose 

 remains were found by the police f Again, it has often 

 been said that when mulattoes intermarry they produce 

 few children; on the other hand, Dr. Bachman, of Charles- 

 ton, J positively asserts that he has known mulatto families 

 which have intermarried for several generations, and have 

 continued on an average as fertile as either pure whites or 

 pure blacks. Inquiries formerly made by Sir C. Lyell on 

 this subject led him, as he informs me, to the same con- 



*"0n the Phenomena of Hybridity in the Genus Homo," Eng. 

 translat., 1864. 



f See the interesting letter by Mr. T. A. Murray, in the " Anthro- 

 polog. Review," April, 1868, p. 53. In this letter Count Strzelecki's 

 statement that Australian women who have borne children to a white 

 man, are afterward sterile with their own race, is disproved. M. A. 

 de Quatrefages has also collected (" Revue des Cours Scientifiques," 

 March, 1869, p. 239) much evidence that Australians and Europeans 

 are not sterile when crossed. 



X " An Examination of Prof. Agassiz's Sketch of the Nat. Province^ 

 of the Aniuial World/' Charleston, 1855, p. 44, 



