284 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



The Mongolic type is, in truth, unknown to ancient history 

 in the shape of organized nations ; hut isolated tribes have pen- 

 etrated westward at early periods, more or less mixed up with 

 that subtypical stock which formed the Finnic or Ouralian 

 nations, whose presence in Europe we shall shortly mention. 

 Those among them which are least mixed by Caucasian inter- 

 union, certaiidy still retain the characteristics evidently belong- 

 ing to the most pure and ancient Hyperborean beardless tribes ; 

 still the following description is applicable to both, with only 

 so much difference as the conditions of their respective situa- 

 tions admit to be results of circumstances only. 



The Beardless Hyperborean,* or Mongolic type, differs 

 from the white Caucasian and Melanic stocks, by constant 

 characters, which mark it externally, even where the subordinate 

 stems are greatly adulterated by intermixture, or modified by 

 climate and other causes. It is a form of Man distinguished 

 from the other two types by a facial angle, sloping backwards 

 from 70 to 80 degrees — the contents of the cerebral chamber 

 varying, according to Dr. Morton's measurement, from 69 to 

 93 cubic inches ; the head is rather small, the face flat, the 

 cheek-bones projecting laterally, the eyes small, not much 

 opened, appearing to be placed obliquely, with the external 

 angle upwards, chiefly because the lachrymary gland is con- 

 cealed by the upper lid, which turns directly down over it. 

 This is a provision of nature common to the ruminants of high 

 latitudes, and the most elevated ridges, who are all destitute 

 of tear pits, probably because the lachrymary structure cannot 

 be exposed in a rigorous climate without positive detriment to 

 the eyes. The Mongolian eye has always a dark iris, the 

 eyebrows are narrow, the hair is coarse, lank, and blacky the 

 beard scanty, not curly, partially or wholly wanting at the 



* The denomination of hyperborean is more strictly applicable to the 

 Arctic stock, though by the ancients the same designation is commonly 

 believed to refer to Gothic, or at most to Finnic tribes, who were at that 

 time merely borcc:-, or northern inhabitants. 



