8 BUREAU or AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 40 



closely associated, then we may naturally expect such contradic- 

 tions and lack of agreement as are actually found. 



It is therefore necessary, first of all, to be clear in regard to the 

 significance of anatomical characteristics, language, and culture, as 

 characteristic of any subdivision of mankind. 



It seems desirable to consider the actual development of these 

 various traits among the existing races. 



I*erfitanence of J*h (/steal Type; Changes in Language 



and Culture 



At the present period we may observe many cases in which a com- 

 plete change of language and culture takes place without a corre- 

 sponding change in physical type. This is true, for instance, among 

 the North American negroes, a people by descent largely African; in 

 culture and language, however, essentially European. While it is 

 true that certain survivals of African culture and language are 

 found among our American negroes, their culture is essentially that 

 of the uneducated classes of the people among whom they live, and 

 their language is on the whole identical with that of their neigh- 

 bors — English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, according to the 

 prevalent language in various parts of the continent. It might be 

 objected that the transportation of the African race to America was 

 an artificial one, and that in earlier times extended migrations and 

 transplantations o,f this kind have not taken place. 



The history of medieval Europe, however, shows clearly that 

 extended changes in language and culture have taken place many 

 times without corresponding changes in blood. 



Recent investigations of the physical types of Europe have shown 

 with great clearness that the distribution of types has remained the 

 same for a long period. Without considering details, it may be said 

 that an Alpine type can easily be distinguished from a north- 

 European type on the one hand, and a south-European type on the 

 other. The Alpine type appears fairly uniform over a large territory, 

 no matter what language may be spoken and what national culture 

 may prevail in the particular district. The central-European French- 

 men, Germans, Italians, and Slavs are so nearly of the same type 

 that we may safely assume a considerable degree of blood relation- 

 ship, notwithstanding their linguistic differences. 



