v at. 



M.V\. 



white race*. Mr. Lawrence (' Lecture*,' 272) ha* adduced proof* of 

 this in the Mongols, UK Chute**, Japanese, Malays, South Sea 

 Island***, negro**, and the Indian* of North and South America ; but 

 the bet has been somewhat obscured by the practice, which is gene- 

 rally prevalent among the** nations, of extirpating the little hair which 

 they have. 



In the performance of the several functions of the economy, it has 

 not yet appeared that any fixed difference exist* in the several races 

 of men, except in caos in which the variation is due to the difference 

 of climate, and occurs alike in all race* when subjected to the tame 

 influence*. In physical endowments also, however great may be the 

 distance between 'the degrees of intellectual and moral elevation 

 poaaeseed by civilised and uncivilised nations, yet there is sufficient 

 evidence to prove that in all there may be traced the same mental 

 endowment*, similar natural prejudices and impressions, the same 

 consciousness, sentiment*, sympathies, propensities, in short a common 

 physical nature, or a common mind. (Prichard, 'Researches.') 



This accordance in the physiological and psychical properties of all 

 nations affords one of the strongest possible arguments in favour of 

 the whole human race being but one species ; for, as Dr. Prichard 

 observes, " the physiological characters of race are liable to few and 

 unimportant variations ;" and therefore when we find that in a number 

 of individuals spread over the greater part of the globe no other 

 differences occur, either in the average length of life, or the extreme 

 length occasionally attained, in the periods of gestation, of infancy, of 

 puberty, and of other changes in the economy, or in the habits, 

 instincts, affection*, and intellectual faculties, than may be fairly 

 attributed to the differences of external circumstances, it may be at 

 once concluded that they are all members of the same family, and 

 the offspring of one common stock. This argument receives support 

 from the fact that in many animals, of which from their forms alone 

 it mii;ht be difficult to determine whether they belonged to the same 

 or different specie*, a diversity occurs in their physiological characters. 

 Thus the wolf and dog, though in many other respects closely resem- 

 bling each other, differ in the period of gestation, the she-wolf carrying 

 her young ninety days, and the bitch (of whatever variety) only sixty- 

 two or sixty-three. In like manner the dog is strongly distinguished 

 from the wolf in his inclination, which is everywhere observable, to 

 associate with man ; and the fox, from both the wolf and dog, in his 

 solitary habits. Yet in form these three agree so nearly, that some 

 naturalist* have deemed them to be the same species. Similar 

 difference* may be observed in the ox kind, between the domesticated 

 ox and the bison and buffalo, which, though nearly related to him in 

 form, are totally opposite in disposition and habits. So also the most 

 marked difference* between the sheep (in all its varieties) and the goat 

 are to be {bund in their instinct* and consequent modes of life ; and 

 ao on through numberless other instances, all tending to prove the 

 permanence of physiological and psychical characters in each species, 

 and their comparative independence of those influences by which 

 modifications in form and colour are produced. 



It is necessary however to show that the structural differences 

 which seem to distinguish so clearly the several nations of mankind 

 coincide with similar variations in other animals which are descended 

 from a common stock. Such variations occur especially in animals 

 which have been domesticated, and thus subjected to influences in 

 many respect* analogous to those under which man has fallen in the 

 progress or decline of civilisation. No one, for example, will be inclined 

 to deny that the varieties of dogs (which, according to Professor Owen, 

 are undoubtedly all of one species) present far greater differences in form 

 and colour, and in some part* of their habits and instincts, than any 

 that are observed in man. And it is worthy of observation that in the 

 most highly domesticated race*, as the spaniel, the cranium is more 

 fully developed, and recede* further from the form of the skull proper 

 to the wolf, than in those which are less cultivated, a* the mastiff. In 

 this we can trace a serie* of varieties very analogous to those of the 

 monkey, the negro, and the highly civilised European. 



The race* of swine present even more remarkable instances of 

 variation, which have been particularly described by Bltimenbach. 

 (' Beytrage xur Naturgosch.'). It is certain that these all descend from 

 the wild boar; and it is equally certain that swine were unknown in 

 America till carried there by tho Spaniards. Yet in that country they 

 have already degenerated into breeds very different from each other 

 and from their original Those taken to Cubagua became a race with 

 ton half a span long, and those of Cuba became more than twice as 

 Urge a* their progenitor*. In Normandy the swine are remarkable 

 for the length of the bone of the bind leg. Swine with solid hoofs 

 were known to the ancient*, and large breed* of them are found in 

 Hungary and Sweden. In some also the hoof is divided into five 

 cleft*. In Guinea they have long ear* couched upon the back ; in 

 China, a large pendant belly and very abort Irg* ; at Cape Verd and 

 ether place*, very large curved tusks. Thus then in one species we 

 find changes even greater than thoee which occur among men ; and as 

 to the mo*t important, Blumenbach says that the whole difference 

 between the cranium of the negro and that of a European is by no means 

 greater than that which exf*U between the cranium of the wild boar 

 and that of the domestic swine. An examination of the different 

 breed* of sheep, horse*, even, goat*, cat*, rabbit*, and still more o! 

 doaestic fowl, would in like u aimer *how that sll these specie*, even 



while under observation, arc subject to greater variations than are 

 bund in the different races of men. 



In respect of colour, a perfect analogy holds between the varieties 

 of domestic animals and those of men. In all those enumerated 

 above example* occur of the melanocomous, leuoous, and xanthous 

 varieties springing up casually or existing constantly in particular 

 jrceds. Thus even in England the cattle of different counties may 

 ye recognised by their colour as well as their forms. Azara remarks 

 of the horses and oxen of Paraguay (where both species have run 

 wild and multiplied very rapidly), that while all those that are domes- 

 ticated vary considerably in colour, those that are wild have all the 

 same colour ; the horses a chestnut or bay-brown ; the oxen reddish- 

 arown on the back, and black on the rest of the body. 



The analogy between the variations to which domesticated (and 

 more rarely wild) animals are subject, and those which are observed 

 in men, is a strong argument for the unity of the human species. 

 Another which possesses much weight is drawn from the propagation 

 of the several races. It is well known that among all other animals 

 the hybrid productions of parents of different species are either quite 

 barren or so little prolific that they soon become extinct, and that 

 au intermediate race cannot be maintained even to the second genera- 

 tion without a return to the pure blood of one or other parent. On 

 the other hand it is observed among domestic animals that the 

 progeny of different varieties of the same species exceed in vigour, 

 and are even more prolific 7 than their parents ; so that intermediate 

 races are apt very soon to become more numerous than the original* 

 from which they sprung. Exactly the same principle holds in the 

 human race. All nations propagate together with equal facility, and 

 Dr. Prichard has shown that the progeny of parents of different nations 

 have in many instances exceeded those from whom they sprung in 

 vigour and in the tendency to multiplication. 



What may be the precise nature of the influences which have caused 

 so much difference to exist between the individuals of the human race 

 we are unable to say ; but instances are constantly occurring, which 

 seem to show us how possible it is that all the varieties of human 

 beings have occurred in a common family. Even amongst the races 

 of our own island, when exposed to circumstances which deprive them 

 of their usual nutriment and means of developing the civilising instincts 

 of mankind, we find that they sink in character, and become physically 

 degraded to a level with races whose features at first sight are very far 

 removed. We need but to travel across the Irish Channel to see many 

 groups of our Celtic fellow-subjects, who have been reduced by famine 

 and disease to a degraded condition closely bordering on that of these 

 savages. 



Although tho colour of the skin and the character of the hair give 

 BO very decided an appearance to many of the races of man, yet there 

 is on record a great number of cases, in which individuals, with hair 

 and skin of one colour, have given birth to children with hair and skin 

 of another colour and character. Dr. Prichard enumerates a great 

 number of instances of individuals with yellow hair and fair skin, 

 amongst tribes with dark hair and skin ; and in the temperate regions 

 of Asia whole tribes, evidently descended from dark-coloured race*, 

 presented the light colour. The Jews appear to have been originally 

 a dark-skinned and woolly-haired race ; but it is well known that the 

 Jews of Europe very frequently present the characteristics of the 

 lightest coloured races. On the other hand we have constantly indi- 

 viduals born of white parents having woolly hair, a dark skin, and 

 other approaches to the black varieties of men. Even whole nations, 

 as the Germans, have presented a tendency to become darker. 



There is also evidence to prove that even tho forms which the bone* 

 of the head assume amongst different nations are not fixed. Amongst 

 the most highly developed races, having the most perfect forms of skull, 

 we constantly see individuals with the projecting maxilla, which is 

 prevalent amongst the lowest tribes; whilst, on the other hand, indi- 

 viduals are often seen among the least civilised races presenting forms 

 of the skull approaching those of the most cultivated nations. Facts 

 such as these are constantly accumulating, and clearly point to the 

 derivation of tho human race from one pair. 



A very natural question arises here as to whether we have any 

 natural history evidence as to the length of time man has existed on 

 the surface of the earth. Recent inquiries into the history of the 

 human race have resulted in confirming the view of the comparatively 

 modern origin of the men, and disproved the statements of those who, 

 relying on fabulous account* of document* in the possession of the 

 Chinese and Hindoos, have given to the human race an absurd anti- 

 quity. Geology reveals to us very clearly the fact, that man has not 

 been created from the earliest period at which animal and vegetable 

 life have appeared on the surface of the earth. Geologists can point 

 to strata which were successively deposited at the bottoms of oceans 

 and great rivers, and which present, for a long succession of ages, no 

 evidence of the existence of human beings. These rocks unfold a 

 condition of tho earth's nurface by which this world was gradually 

 prepared to receive its highest and most potent inhabitant man I 

 Estimate* have been formed by Sir Charles I.y. 11 :n.d others of the 

 period* of time required for the produc < bainchfOgai upon 



the earth's surface ; and comparing geological changes with the evi- 

 dence* of th**cxikti nco of man, nil the principles of the science of 

 geology support the notion, that rnau is one of the most recently 



