12 INTRODUCTION [CHAP- 



Apart from these extensions, the last two decades have 

 witnessed the rise and progress of two entirely novel departments 

 of research. For the biometric methods introduced by Galton and 

 the principles involved in the Mendelian system are evidently 

 applicable to the problems of human variation and heredity. And 

 if it be admitted that the units employed in those researches are 

 morphological in nature, it follows that the methods themselves are 

 essentially aids to a more correct appreciation of human morphology. 



But we meet with considerations of vast importance arising 

 particularly out of the situation as viewed from the Mendelian 

 point of view. It must suffice here to mention the conception of 

 " unit-characters " and the mode of transmission of these. For 

 in the light of the new teaching as expounded by such writers as 

 Davenport, Cuenot and Blaringhem, the whole field is altered in 

 regard to the rate of Evolution, and its mode of progress. 



It is convenient to leave for a moment the various problems 

 grouped under the general heading of Morphology and to turn to 

 another aspect of the study of Man. For the advance effected 

 through the fuller realization of the idea of Evolution in particular 

 application to Mankind, necessarily influenced other considerations 

 than such as are strictly morphological. In the light of Darwinian 

 research it became necessary to investigate not merely the bodily 

 structure of Man but also his intellectual powers and their mani- 

 festations : not only these, but even the origins of human society, 

 and of arts and sciences of whatever kind, were gradually added 

 to the list, so that Anthropological literature now deals with 

 a variety of subjects so diverse as the studies of languages, of the 

 special senses in civilized and savage races, of decorative art, of 

 the origins of religion, of picture-writing, of children's games, of 

 keramics, of metallurgy, and of midwifery. In fact, Anthropology 

 is no longer a single subject; it organizes a group of sciences, and 

 consequently, to use the simile so ably put forward by Professor 

 Tylor, it can well be compared to the frame used by mountaineers 

 for the purpose of supporting a miscellaneous load. The conveni- 

 ence of the frame more than compensates for the slight additional 

 weight imposed by it. 



It is appropriate to remark in this connection that the theory 

 of Evolution has proved to be of the utmost utility in the study, 



