DIVISION OF THE HUMAN SPECIES, &C. 473 



This acute and judicious naturalist divides the single 

 species, which the genus Homo contains, into the Cauca- 

 sian, Mongolian, Ethiopian, American, and Malay varieties. 

 He regards the Caucasian as the primitive stock. It devi- 

 ates into two extremes most remote and different from each 

 other ; namely, the Mongolian on one side, and the Ethio- 

 pian on the other. The two other varieties hold the middle 

 places between the Caucasian and the two extremes ; that 

 is, the American comes in between the Caucasian and 

 Mongolian 5 and the Malay between the Caucasian and 

 Ethiopian. 



The following marks and descriptions will serve to define 

 these five varieties. But it is necessary to observe, in the 

 first place, that on account of the multifarious diversity and 

 gradation of characters, one or two are not sufficient for de- 

 termining the race; consequently, that an enumeration of 

 several is required : and, secondly, that even this combi- 

 nation of characters is subject to numerous exceptions in 

 each variety. The migrations of the several races in quest 

 of more eligible abodes, the changes of situation consequent 

 on invasion, war, and conquest, and the inter-marriages to 

 which these lead, account for much of this uncertainty. 

 Thus the Mongolian and Caucasian varieties have been 

 much intermixed in Asia; the latter, and the Ethiopian, in 

 Africa. 



I. Caucasian Variety *. — Characters. A white skin, 

 either with a fair-rosy tint, or inclining to brown ; red 

 cheeks ; hair black, or of the various lighter colours, co- 

 pious, soft, and generally more or less curled or waving. 

 Irides dark in those with brown skin, light (blue, gray, or 

 greenish) in the fair or rosy-complexioned. Large cranium 

 with small face; the upper and anterior regions of the 



* The name of this variety is derived from Mount Caucasus } because in 

 its neighbourhood, and particularly towards the south, we meet with a very 

 beautiful race of men, the Georgians; (see the quotation from Chakdin at 

 p. 289;) and because, so far as the imperfect lights of history and tradition 

 extend, the original abode of the species seems to have been near the same 

 quarter. 



