INTRODUCTION. 29 



projection of these arches, these two lines form with the basis a tri- 

 angular figure. Another characteristic in the face belonging to the 

 pyramidal skull, is the obliquity of the aperture of the eyelids; this 

 is not due to any want of parallelism in the orbits, but to the struc- 

 ture of the lids; the skin being tightly drawn over the prominent 

 malar bones at the outer an^le of the eyes, and smoothly drawn over 

 the low nasal bones, gives to the eye the appearance of having the 

 inner angle directed downwards. The pyramidal and prognathous 

 skulls being adapted to the nomadic and hunter state, if " either of 

 these were the original condition of mankind, then were the first 

 men probably in form like the Esquimaux or the Negro." 



The stature, relative size of the limbs and trunk, and the propor- 

 tions of different parts of the body, vary much in the different 

 races of men ; these differences have been considered by some as 

 amounting to specific distinctions. One of the principal of these dif- 

 ferences is found in the pelvis. Vrolik says it is difficult to sepa- 

 rate from the female Negro pelvis the idea of d( gradation, so much 

 does it approach the form in the Simiae in the vertical direction of 

 the ossa ilii and its elongated shape ; he considers the Hottentot pel- 

 vis as indicating greater " animality in comparison even with the 

 Negro.'' Weber has reduced the forms of the human pelvis to four, 

 the oval, most frequent in Europeans ; the fount/, most frequent in 

 the American nations; the square, in people resembling the Mongo- 

 lians; and the oblong, or wedge-shaped, most common in the nations 

 of Africa. He thinks these answer to the corresponding form of the 

 kull in the several nations. Prichard thinks that no particulai 

 lgure is a permanent characteristic of any one race. 



As to other parts of the skeleton, in some particulars the less 

 ivilized races bear some remote resemblance to the lower animals. 

 I ncivilized men, like uncivilized breeds of animals, have lean, slender, 

 and elongated limbs. These lie considers as mere variations, as the 

 same causes v. Inch produce them in individuals might influence a 

 whole race. In the Negro the bones of the leg are bent outwards 

 and forwards ; the calves of the legs are very high ; the feet are flat, 

 and the os calcis is continued in a straight line with the other bones 

 of the foot, and is more prominent behind ; the length of the fore- 

 arm is also relatively greater; but these differences are said to be no 

 greater than arc observed every day in individuals of any race. 

 Prichard divides the human races principally according to the rela- 

 tions of their languages, which of all endowments " seem to be the 

 most permanently retained, and can be shown in many cases to have 

 survived even very considerable changes in physical and moral char- 

 acters." The system adopted by Cuvier referred the original seats 

 3* 



