Chap. VII. The Races of Man. 177 



from a common stock, the differences between the races and 

 their number must have been small; consequently as far as 

 their distinguishing characters are concerned, they then had less 

 claim to rank as distinct species than the existing so-called races. 

 Nevertheless, so arbitrary is the term of species, that such early 

 races would perhaps have been ranked by some naturalists as 

 distinct species, if their differences, although extremely slight, 

 had been more constant than they are at present, and had not 

 graduated into each other. 



It is however possible, though far from probable, that the 

 early progenitors of man might formerly have diverged much in 

 character, until they became more unlike each other than any 

 now existing races; but that subsequently, as suggested by 

 Vogt,^^ they converged in character. When man selects the off- 

 spring of two distinct species for the same object, he sometimes 

 induces a considerable amount of convergence, as far as general 

 appearance is concerned. This is the case, as shewn by Von 

 Nathusius,^' with the improved breeds of the pig, which are 

 descended from two distinct species; and in a less marked 

 manner with the improved breeds of cattle. A great anatomist, 

 Gratiolet, maintains that the anthropomorphous apes do not 

 form a natural sub-group ; but that the orang is a highly 

 developed gibbon or semnopithecus, the chimpanzee a highly 

 developed macacus, and the gorilla a highly developed mandrill. 

 If this conclusion, which rests almost exclusively on- brain- 

 characters, be admitted, we should have a case of convergence 

 at least in external characters, for the anthropomorphous apes 

 are certainly more like each other in many points, than they are 

 to other apes. All analogical resemblances, as of a whale to a 

 fish, may indeed be said to be cases of convergence; but this 

 term has never been applied to superficial and adaptive resem- 

 blances. It would, however, be extremely rash to attribute to 

 convergence close similarity of character in many points of 

 structure amongst the modified descendants of widely distinct 

 beings. The form of a crystal is determined solely by the mole- 

 cular forces, and it is not surprising that dissimilar substances 

 should sometimes assume the same form ; but with organic 

 beings we should bear in mind that the form of each depends on 

 an infinity of complex relations, namely on variations, due to 

 causes far too intricate to be followed, — on the nature of the 

 variations preserved, these depending on the physicial condi- 



'" * Lectures on Man,' Eng. trans- schichte, &c., Schwemeschadel,' 



lat. 1864, p. 468. 1864, s. 104. With respect to cattle, 



^* ' Die Racen des Schweinee,' see M. de Quntref'ages, ' Unit^ dc 



■1860, ». 46. 'V-^rstudien iur Ge- I'Espfece Humaine,' 1861, p. 119. 



iS 



