SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS .—E. 499 
northern Mexico, but the special physiographic conditions have been utilised 
only over a relatively small and fluctuating area. Considerable areas in 
which springs and flood waters afforded opportunities for agriculture were 
occupied by non-agricultural peoples. This region, in which sheep 
pastoralism has developed among the Navajo in post-Columbian times, 
affords an interesting example of the co-existence of three contrasted 
economies practised by different peoples occupying a single region. 
Saturday, September 9. 
Excursion to Holwell Iron Works and the Melton District. 
Sunday, September 10. 
Excursion to Leicester, Uppingham, Peterborough, Wisbech. 
Monday, September 11. 
PRESIDENTIAL ApprRESS by Rt. Hon. Lorp Mesron, K.C.S.I., on 
Geography as mental equipment (10.0). (See p. 93.) 
Sir Epwarp A. Gait, K.C.S.I., C.I.E—Races and languages of India 
(11.15). 
India contains a remarkable diversity of languages and peoples. The 
223 indigenous languages belong to four distinct linguistic families— 
Dravidian, Austric, Aryan and Tibeto-Chinese. There is nothing definite 
to show where the first two originated, but the last two were brought by 
immigrants from the north-west and east respectively. Aryan languages are 
now spoken by three-quarters of the population. 
The ‘ Aryan’ physical type predominates in the north-west, and the 
Mongoloid in the east. The people in the south, known as ‘ Dravidian,’ 
are a composite race. North of the ‘ Dravidian’ there is a blend, on the 
west with Aryan and on the east with Mongolian. 
The post-Aryan invasions did not much affect the physical type, but 
those of the Afghans and Mughals brought the Muhammadan religion now 
professed by one-fifth of the population. 
'The existing divisions are based mainly on religion and language. The 
most notable is that between Hindus and Muhammadans. The linguistic 
groups may be regarded as distinct races, but in their religion and traditions 
the Hindus throughout India have a bond of union which has been 
strengthened by the wide diffusion of English which serves as a lingua franca. 
Discussion on India (11.45). 
AFTERNOON. 
Sectional Lunch (1.0). 
Prof. F, DrseNHAM.—Report on the Polar Year (2.30). 
Dr. E. H. Se_woop.—Classification of communities by means of occupations 
(3.0). 
The standard set up last year at York that if 40 per cent. of the workers 
are engaged in any one occupation it was sufficient to characterise that 
