96 



bones are eight in number. The thumb is developed far beyond 

 any degree exhibited by the highest quadrumaria, and is the most 

 perfect opposing digit in the animal creation. 



The skull is distinguished by the enormous expansion of the 

 brain-case; by the restricted growth of the bones of the face, 

 especially of the jaws, in relation to the small, equally-developed 

 teeth \ and by the early obliteration of the maxillo-intermaxillary 

 suture. To balance the head upon the neck-bone, we find the 

 condyles of the occiput brought forward almost to the centre of 

 the base of the skull, resting upon the two cups of the atlas, 

 so that there is but a slight tendency to incline forwards when 

 the balancing action of the muscle ceases, as when the head nods 

 during sleep, in an upright posture. Instead of the strongly 

 developed occipital crest, we find a great development of true 

 mastoid processes advanced nearer to the middle of the sides of 

 the basis cranii, and of which there is only the rudiment in the 

 gorilla. The upper convexity of the cranium is not interrupted 

 by any sagittal or parietal cristre. The departure from the arche- 

 type, in the human skull, is most conspicuous, in the vast expanse 

 of the neural spines of the three chief cranial vertebrae, viz. 

 occipital, parietal, and frontal. 



' To what extent,' it may next be asked, 'does man depart from 

 the typical character of his species ? ' With regard to the kind and 

 amount of variety in mankind, we find, propagable and character- 

 istic of race, a difference of stature, a difference in regard to colour 

 of skin, difference in both colour and texture of the hair, and cer- 

 tain differences in the osseous framework. 



As to stature, the Bushmen of South Africa and the natives of 

 Lapland exhibit the extreme of diminution, ranging from four to 

 five feet. Some of the Germanic races and the Patagoiiian Indians 

 exhibit the opposite extreme, ranging from six to seven feet. The 

 medium size prevails generally throughout the races of .mankind. 



_With reference to the characteristics of colour, which are ex- 

 treme, we have now opportunities of knowing how much that 

 character is the result of the influence of climate. We know it 

 more particularly by that most valuable mode of testing such influ- 

 ences which we derive from the peculiarity of the Jewish race. For 

 1800 years that race has been dispersed in different latitudes and 

 climates, and they have preserved themselves distinct from inter- 

 mixture with other races of mankind. There are some Jews still 

 lingering in the valleys of the Jordan, having been oppressed by the 



