850 General Notes. 
their feasts, their marriages, their wampum, their amusements, and 
their modes of life. 
r. D. G. Brinton read a paper on “The Alleged Mongolian 
Affinities of the American Race,” in which he demonstrated that 
no such affinities existed. His conclusion was the opposite of that 
of Dr. Boas. An abstract is as follows: 
Many recent writers assert that the American or Red race presents 
various traits which bring it into close relationship with the Mon- 
golian. These alleged resemblances may be classed as either of 
language, of culture, or of physical appearance. In language the Es- 
kimo has been said to resemble Ural-Altaic tongues of northern Asia; 
and the Otomi of Mexico has been asserted to be monosyllabic and 
isolating like the Chinese. Both these statements are proved erro- 
neous by recent researches. The American languages differ entirely 
from any of the Mongolian group. 
In culture there are various similarities but not more, and not 
other, than can be pointed out between any two groups of early 
civilizations, and no one of them is evidence of intercourse. 
The physical similarities relied upon begin with the color of the 
skin. Butno American tribe shows the peculiar hue of the Mongol. 
The hair, though straight in both races, differs in color and to some 
extent in shape of cross section. The oblique or “Chinese” eye 
is by no means usual in the American race, scarcely more so than 
among the whites, and is, moreover, of much less importance than 
has been maintained. The shape of the skull is markedly different. 
The Mongolian head is round, that of the Eskimo is notably long, 
and of other tribes mixed. The nasal index of the American Indian 
alleged Mongolian affinities of the American race; and this is of 
but slight importance. : 
The discussion on this paper was most animated, although it 
Prof. E. S. Morse, of Salem, Mass., supported the speaker. aoe 
Horatio Hale, of Toronto, made some observations, as did rof. 
Mason. Major Powell dilated upon the importance of amp 
rather than to divide and extend them. 
