440 VARIETIES OP MANKIND. 



sophy at the University of Wittenberg, and that Lislet of the isle 

 of France was chosen a corresponding member of the French 

 Academy of Sciences. " Provinces of Europe," says he, '* might 

 be named, in which it would be no easy matter to discover such 

 good writers, poets, philosophers, and correspondents of the 

 French Academy ; and on the other hand, there is no savage 

 people which have distinguished themselves by such examples of 

 perfectibility, and even capacity for scientific cultivation, and 

 consequently, that none can approach more nearly than the negro 

 to the polished nations of the globe." * This mental inferiority 

 is attended of course by a corresponding inferiority of the brain. 

 The circumference, diameters, and vertical arch of the cranium 

 being smaller than in the European,f and the forehead particu- 

 larly being narrower and falling back in a more arched form, 

 the brain in general, and particularly those parts which are the 

 organs of intellect properly so called, % must be of inferior size. 

 The orbits, on the contrary, and the olfactory and gustatory or 

 rather masticatory organs being more amply evolved, the area of 

 the face bears a greater proportion to the area of the skull, — as 

 1. 2. to 4. j the proportion is greater in the orang-outang, and in 

 the carnivora nearly equal. § The senses here situated, as well 

 as that of hearing, are astonishingly acute, though not only in 

 this but also in the three following varieties, and the corres- 

 ponding nerves, at least the first, fifth, and facial, of great size.|| 



* Beytrlige zur Naturgcschichte. Th. i. p. 98. Vide Rees's Cyclopadia, 

 and Mr. Lawrence's Lectures. 



•f- Scemmerring, De basi cranii et originibus nervorum cranio egredientium. 



J Spurzheim, Physiognomical system. 



§ Cuvier, Le'fons d" Anatomic Comparie. 



|| Soemmering. 1. c. 



The native Americans pursue their enemies through the desert by the sense of 



smell and have distinct terms for the odour of an European, a Negro, and an 



Americnn Indian. (Humboldt. 1. c. Haller. El. Phys.) Negroes in the Antilles 



can distinguish blacks from whites in pursuit by the same sense. The bodies of 



all men have doubtless a peculiar odour, though the inferior races only enjoy the 



sense of smell sufficiently acute to make very nice distinctions in regard to it. 



In 



