GENERAL ASPECTS. 163 



Land, observed on the Prussian coast of the Baltic, satisfactorily prove that such 

 has been the case. 



Modern Germany, with its numerous rivers, extensive tracts of fertile lands, 

 wooded hills, and pasture-grounds, must have strong-ly attracted the tribes who, 

 following the lead of the sun, migrated from the east to the west. Of the original 

 inhabitants of Germany we know nothing except what has been revealed to us by 

 finds in caverns and lakes. 



Long before Teutons and Slavs the country was inhabited by a different race, 

 of a tyj)e supposed to be represented by a skull discovered in the Neander cave, 

 near Diisseldorf. Similar remains have been discovered, as early as 1700, near 

 Cannstadt, in Wiirtemberg. These primeval inhabitants, with low, retreating 

 foreheads, narrow and flattened skulls, and strong bones, are supposed to have 

 lived in the tertiary age, and had to struggle with bears and hyenas for existence. 



It is quite possible that long before the arrival of Teutonic tribes the shores of 

 the Baltic were in the possession of Fins. This question, however, would appear 

 to be incapable of solution. Anyhow, the remains discovered in the numerous 

 tumuli, or " Hiinengriiber," scattered all over Germany, are attributed to Slav, 

 Teutonic, and Gallic tribes. The skeletons with elongated skulls, found from 

 Switzerland to the extreme east of Prussia, are supposed to be Teutonic, whilst 

 the others are assumed to be those of Gauls. 



As lonff as the distinctive characteristics of the Germans had not been deter- 

 mined, the prehistoric remains discovered could shed no light upon the character 

 of the ancient inhabitants of the country. Until recently all Germans were 

 supposed to be dolichocephalous, but careful measurements have shown that round 

 skulls are numerous, and even preponderate in some districts. The skulls of 

 Frieslanders, whom Professor Virchow looks upon as the purest Germans, the 

 swamps defending their country having preserved them from contact with other 

 tribes, are broad and high, but relatively not very elongated. In a general way 

 it may be stated that the North Germans are dolichocephalous, whilst broad skulls 

 are more frequent in Southern Germany. 



There was a time when we studied Latin authors in order to find out the 

 physical characteristics of the Germans. It was accepted for a fact that they had 

 blue eyes and flaxen or red hair. An examination of all the school children 

 throughout Germany, which has taken place recently, shows very clearly that if 

 blue eyes, flaxen hair, and fair complexions represent the true German type, only 

 about one-third (32-2 per cent.) of all the children examined belong to it. In 

 Prussia this German type is represented by 35 per cent., in Bavaria by 20 per 

 cent., in Alsace by even a smaller proportion. The mountains which stretch from 

 Bohemia to the Pthine separate the fair Germans from the darker-complexioned 

 ones. Along the rivers the complexions, as a rule, are darker than away from 

 them, and we may conclude from this that migratory non-German tribes followed 

 their course. 



Thus much may be assumed, that the modern Germans are a mixed race, and 



