CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 1. BIMANA. 



41 



PAPUAN. 



EUGENIE. 



or shook the forum of Rome — or as that saint and father of the Church, surnamed the ' Golden- 

 mouthed' — or as those whose accents have thrilled all hearts with indignation, or melted them 

 with pity and ruth, in the time-honored halls of Westminster V 



It will be perceived that the argument implied in this interrogation is simply this : It is impossi- 

 ble that beings of such diverse characteristics — mental, moral, and physical — can be the offspring of 

 the same parents ; or, in other words, they cannot be of the same species, using the term in its scien- 

 tific sense. The reply has been, in the first place, that these diversities are less radical than 

 might appear from a superficial examination. Among all these different tribes, it is found that 

 the deviations of size, form, complexion, and character are not much greater than are perceived 

 between the acknowledged members of the same race. Among the dark races of hot climates, 

 albinos, with a milk-white skin and silken hair of a yellow hue, are not uncommon. Light-com- 

 plexioned children have often been born of the black-haired and swarthy Jews. There is abundant 

 historical evidence of instances of this variety of complexion springing up among the Greeks, 

 Romans, Assyrians, Laplanders, Tartars, and other families of the less swarthy type, as well as among 

 the Negroes, Egyptians, and Malays. 



There are some differences of structure observed in the different races of mankind ; there is 

 also great diversity in the texture of the skin and the character of the hair. It is, however, to be 

 here observed, that in the same nations there are similar varieties, and this may be accounted for 

 by the influence of situation and climate. If we turn for analogies to the animal tribes, we shall 

 discover abundant evidence of the transforming influence of circumstances upon the physical and 

 moral character of animals. 



The races of swine present, for example, even more remarkable instances .of variation,' which 

 have been particularly described by Blumenbach. It is certain that these have all descended from 

 the wild-boar ; and it is equally certain that swine were unknown in America till carried there by 

 the 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 toes half a span 

 long, and those of Cuba became more than twice as large as their progenitors. In Normandy, 

 the swine are remarkable for the length of the bone of the hind-leg. Swine with solid hoots were 



Vol. I.— 6 



