362 DIVISION I. VERTEBRAL ANIMALS.—CLASS I. MAMMALIA. 
Blumenbach, whose system of classification is the most generally adopted, 
reduces the several races of men to five varieties, as follows : — 
I. The first variety occupies the central parts of the old continent, viz., 
Western Asia, Eastern and Northern Africa, Hindostan, and Europe. _ Its 
characters are the color of the skin, more or less white or brown; the cheeks 
tinged with red; long hair, either brown or fair; the head almost spherical ; 
the face oval and narrow; the features moderately marked ;_ the nose slightly 
arched; the mouth small; the front teeth placed perpendicularly in the 
jaws; the chin full and round. The Hindoos, the Abyssinians, the Ber- 
bers, or inhabitants of Mount Atlas, have features not essentially differing 
from those of the Europeans, except in the color of the skin, and which 
among the Hindoo and Abyssinian mountaineers is quite fair, This varicty 
is called the Caucasian, from its supposed origin in the Caucasus. It is 
composed of the ruling and conquering classes. 
Il. The second variety is denominated the Lastern. The color is yellow ; 
the hair black, stiff, and straight; the head almost square; the face large, 
flat, and depressed; the features indistinctly marked; the nose small and 
flat; the cheeks round and prominent; the chin pointed, and the eyes 
small. This variety comprises the Asiatics to the east of the Ganges, and 
of Mount Beloor, except the Malays. In Europe it embraces the Lapland- 
ers, and in America, the Esquimaux. 
III. The third variety is composed of the aboriginal Americans, except 
the Esquimaux. There are numerous tribes, or nations, all distinguished 
by a copper color, stiff, straight black hair, low foreheads, sunken eyes, pro- 
jecting nose, prominent check bones, and large face. 
IV. This variety —the Malay —comprehends many of the islanders of 
the Pacific Ocean. The color is tawny; the hair black, soft, thick, and 
curled; the forehead projecting; the nose thick, wide, and flattened, and 
the mouth large. 
V. The Negro constitutes the last variety. Its characters are, — color 
black; hair black and woolly; head narrow; forehead convex and arched ; 
cheek bones projecting; nose large, and almost confounded with the upper 
jaw; the upper front teeth obliquely placed ;_ the lips thick ; the chin drawn 
in, and the legs crooked. This race is found in Western and Southern 
Africa, and the great islands of the Pacific Ocean, generally in the interior. 
The arrangement of Blumenbach, who adds the Malayan and American 
races to the three admitted by Cuvier, has, as we have said, been very gener- 
ally adopted; but there would seem to be quite as good reason for admitting 
others. Fischer, in his Synopsis Mammalium, indicates what he conceives 
to be seven species of Homo (reducing the number that had previously been 
assigned by Bory St. Vincent) ; and the numerous divisions and subdivis- 
