THE HUMAN SPECIES. 295 



stag's horn by the side : a practice long in use among 

 the Finnic and Gothic nations, and still followed by 

 kindred tribes in both Americas. 



These deposits, in the south of central France, have 

 still, on the mountain above them, the ruins of rectilinear 

 and curved defensive works, not like those of the Gallic 

 tribes ; and as they are in the vicinity of the Basque 

 territory, it is likely that a kindred race was the owner 

 of the soil before they were subdued or expelled by the 

 progressing Celtae. It is most probable, that although 

 the Finnic people spread over Europe, their movement 

 from the east was in general coastwise, and from north 

 towards the south ; ascending great rivers from the sea, 

 and in some cases only forming considerable communi- 

 ties. Hence, in Europe and the high north, they are, 

 with scarce an exception, fish-eaters, boatmen ; never 

 riders ; and only graziers, not cultivators, in the south, 

 when secure from the nature of their location ; but even 

 then still substituting ozier and willow branches for 

 many purposes of domestic utility ; for such is still the 

 practice among the Basques as well as the Laplanders. 

 They seem, indeed, scarcely to have been capable of 

 successful resistance against Celtic invaders, in their 

 more pure stunted growth ; and that their physical 

 strength was only on a par, and sometimes superior 

 to them, when they were united with the giant forms 

 of Yeta or Gothic origin, who no doubt lorded it over 

 them, but certainly had also protective inclinations. 

 Now tribes of this class, independent of immediate 

 rulers, are constantly found to accompany the smaller 



