THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIOLOGISTS 157 
within limits.1_ He shows further that the changes in the human 
frame as a result of civilization are analogous to those in animals 
as a result of domestication,? there being this difference,-however, 
that whereas change of environment (especially with change of 
nutrition and mode of life), conscious selection, and crossing, have 
all been potent factors in the development of different types of 
domesticated animals, change of environment and crossing have 
been most strongly active in the development of the races of man.? 
Boas explains the occurrence of distinct local types in primitive 
races‘ in contrast to the variability to be found among civilized® 
as due to differences in environment, to isolation and in-breeding. 
Our author shows how chaotic our information is as to the charac- 
teristics of primitive races,® and questions the conclusion of 
Spencer concerning the great native differences in primitive 
and civilized man as regards fickleness, strength of passion, 
lack of control, improvidence, inability to concentrate atten- 
tion, and lack of originality.’ He believes that “the differences 
between civilized man and primitive man are in many cases 
more apparent than real; that the social conditions, on account 
of their peculiar characteristics, easily convey the impression 
that the mind of primitive man acts in a way quite different 
from ours, while in reality the fundamental traits of the mind 
are the same.’’® Our author admits, however, differences in 
mental traits among individuals and races, and believes that 
the efforts of such investigators as Galton will be able yet to 
analyze and classify them with some degree of precision.» He 
concludes that ‘“ while it is likely that changes of the mental 
character go hand in hand with the undoubted changes in the 
human anatomy, .. .. we cannot prove that any progressive 
changes of the human organism have taken place; and partic- 
ularly no advance in the size or complexity of the structure of 
the central nervous system, caused by the cumulative effects 
of civilization ”’; moreover, that “the difficulty of proving a 
1 Mind of Primitive Man, p. 64. § Ibid., pp. ror f. 
2 Tbid., pp. 66 f., 75. 1 [bid., pp. 106 f. 
3 Ibid., pp. 68-70. 8 Tbid., p. 114. 
4 Tbid., pp. 75 f. 9 Ibid., p. 116. 
5 Tbid., p. 93. 
