THE DESCENT OR ORIGIN OF MAN 231 



iiillj justified in ranking the races of man as distinct species; 

 for he has found that they are distinguished by many differ- 

 ences in structure and constitution, some being of impor- 

 tance. These differences have also remained nearly constant 

 for very long periods of time. Our naturalist will have 

 been in some degree influenced by the enormous range 

 of man, which is a great anomaly in the class of mammals, 

 if mankind be viewed as a single species. He will have 

 been struck with the distribution of the several so-called 

 races, which accords with that of other undoubtedly distinct 

 species of mammals. Finally, he might urge that the 

 mutual fertility of all the races has not as yet been fully 

 proved, and even if proved would not be an absolute proof 

 of their specific identity. 



On the other side of the question, if our supposed natur- 

 alist were to inquire whether the forms of man keep distinct 

 like ordinary species, when mingled together in large num- 

 bers in the same country, he would immediately discover 

 that this was by no means the case. In Brazil he would 

 behold an immense mongrel population of Negroes and 

 Portuguese; in Chiloe and other parts of South America he 

 would behold the whole population consisting of Indians 

 and Spaniards blended in various degrees." In many parts 

 of the same continent he would meet with the most complex 

 crosses between Negroes, Indians, and Europeans; and, 

 judging from the vegetable kingdom, such triple crosses 

 afford the severest test of the mutual fertility of the parent- 

 forms. In one island of the Pacific he would find a small 

 population of mingled Polynesian and English blood; and 

 in the Fiji Archipelago a population of Polynesian and 

 Negritos crossed in all degrees. Many analogous cases 

 could be added; for instance, in Africa. Hence the races 



» M. de Quatrefages has given ("Anthropolog. Eeview," January, 1869, 

 p. 22) an interesting account of the success and energy of the Paulistas in 

 Brazil, who are a much-crossed race of Portnguese and Indians, with a mixture 

 of the blood of other races. 



