1670 THE STORY OF THE UNIVERSE 



the latter, whether curled, lank, woolly, or frizzled), 

 and the shape of the skull. All other physical dif- 

 ferences, as regards stature, form of limbs, and gen- 

 eral outline of body, seem capable of ready explana- 

 tion by reference to opposite conditions of climate, 

 food, and habits of social life. But between the 

 Caucasian and the Negro, or the latter and the Mon- 

 gol, there is a broad and strongly marked difference, 

 and one that extends over the whole historic period.] 



The distinguishing attributes of the Caucasian 

 race, physically considered, are the oval form of the 

 skull with the generally symmetrical shape of the 

 entire head and frame of body. The face is of oval 

 form, the features moderately prominent, the fore- 

 head arched, the cheek-bones only slightly project- 

 ing, the mouth small, the chin full and round; with 

 the skin generally of light color (varying, however, 

 from white to a deep brown, or swarthy, hue), the 

 eyes and hair of various hue, and the latter often 

 curling. The facial angle* is greater in the case of 

 the Caucasian than in either of the other varieties 

 of mankind. 



The epithet Caucasian, applied to this branch of 

 the human family, is derived from the high moun- 



* The facial angle is formed by the meeting of two lines 

 drawn on the profile of the skull one of them a line touch- 

 ing the projecting part of the forehead and the gum of the 

 upper jaw, the other connecting the base of the nose and the 

 opening of the ear. The angle formed by the meeting of these 

 lines sometimes amounts in a Caucasian variety of man to 80 

 degrees and upward ; in the other varieties it seldom exceeds 

 70 degrees; and in the instance of some degraded races is 

 considerably less. 



