London, Edinburgh, fy Dublin Philosophical Magazine. 443 



Mongol at one extremity, and the iEthiopic at the other, interposing 

 the American variety between the Caucasian and the Mongol, and 

 the Malay between the Caucusian and the iEthiopic : it is dif- 

 ficult, however, to arrive at very correct general conclusions on 

 this very interesting subject, without reference to those which are 

 founded on the analogies of language, as has been done by Cuvier 

 and Prichard. 



It is quite impossible, within the short compass to which this no- 

 tice is necessarily confined, to convey more than a very general 

 impression of the vast variety of the labours of this distinguished 

 philosopher. We find him applying his knowledge of natural history 

 in illustration of the arts and poetry of antiquity;* he was also one of 

 the first naturalists who appreciated the importance of a knowledge of 

 fossils in determining the relative ages of the strata of the earthf. 

 He had cultivated archaeology and literary historyj from his earliest 

 years with more than common interest and zeal. There were, in fact, 

 few departments of knowledge and literature, however remotely con- 

 nected with the natural sciences, which he has not illustrated by his 

 writings ; it was when thus travelling into provinces of knowledge 

 which were somewhat foreign to his own, that he was accustomed to 

 quote the adage of Seneca: " Soleo et in aliena castra transire, non 

 tanquam transfuga, sed tanquam explorator." 



Blumenbach had long been considered as the patriarch of the 

 University of Gottingen, and was allowed the full privileges attached 

 to his distinguished reputation, to the memory of his long services, 

 and to the respect due to his venerable old age ; he retained his usual 

 cheerfulness, his memory, and much of his ancient activity, until 

 nearly the close of his life. He died on the 22nd January last, in the 

 88th year of his age, a memorable proof that the tranquil pursuits of 

 science, and the gentle stimulus of constant, though not laborious 



* Specimen Historiae Naturalis, Antiquae artis operibus illustrate eaque vicissirn illustrantis 

 1803. Com. Acad. Gott., torn xvi. 



Specimen Historiae Naturalis ex auctoribus Classicis, praesertim poetis, illustrate eosque 

 vicissim illustrantis : 1815. Com. recent. Acad. Gott., torn. cxi. 



t Beitrage zur Naturgeschichte der Vorwelt : 1790. Specimen Archaeoiogice telluris tarrarum. 

 que imprimis Hannoveranarum: 1801. Also Comment. Acad. Gott., torn. xv. p. 132 — 156. 

 Com. recent. Acad. Gott., torn. cxi. pp.3 — 24. 



t His " Introductio in Historiam Medicinae Literariam," published in 1786, is a most in 

 structive specimen of scientific bibliography. 



