The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-18 00:00:00

ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIE ry.

At the meeting of this society on Tuesday even-
ing two remarkable papers were read by Mr. G.
Napier on the classification of the races of mankind
and on the resemblance between man and the lower
animals. In the first paper Mr. Napier attempted
to establish a system of arrangement of races accord-
ing to their mental and moral peculiarities, in dis-
tinction to the ordin iry arrangement, according to
physical differences. This classification was, how-
ever, founded on arbitrary and empirical notions
more than on established facts, and was rather au
account of the commonly conceived characteristics
of different nations than a philosophical deduction
from distinctions of race. He distinguished the Jews
for their morality, the Greeks for their intellect,
the Celts for their morality, and the Teutons
for their combination in a high degree of moral
with intellectual qualities. The Rev. Dunbar
Heath, and others who took part in the dis-
cussion, joined issue with Mr. Napier on those
points, for Mr. Heath denied the superior morality
of the Jews, and the claim of the Greeks as a
people to superior intellect was also disputed. The
qualities assigned to other nations were not suf-
ficiently defined to constitute marked distinctions
of races.

In the second paper, in which Mr. Napier at-
tempted to establish a resemblance between man
and animals, he contended that the inhabitants of
different countries have qualities in common with
their botanical, zoological, and geographical sur-
roundings. He regarded man as a microcosm, and
that everything in the world more or less resembled
him ; but it did not appear clear from Mr. Napier's
expression of his views whether he considered man
to be the influencing cause or whether he was the
object acted on. The habits of life, he observed,
influence the character and the countenance, and
similar influences operate on the lower animals.
There is, he asserted, an assimilation always going
on between man and the animals associated with him,
in illustration of which he mentioned the resemblance
he had seen between butchers and oxen, and shep-
herds and sheep ; and. he exhibited some drawings
of the faces of men in which resemblances to various
animals were apparent. He might, he said, extend
thesa illustrations by many living examples, but
he did not like to be personal. The resemblance
in the dispositions of men to various animals was
pointed at considerable length, especially as shown
in the different characters of monkeys, dogs, and
horses. The different dispositions of the various
species of dogs likened to similar characters in diffe-
rent men, but it was not attempted to be shown that
the distinctive character of •any of the breeds of
dogs had ever been altered by association with man
so as to render a ferocious bull-dog as quiet as
a spaniel. When noticing the different disposi-
tions of horses a distinct quality was assigned to
every separate colour. After dilating at some
length on the peculiarities associated with diffe-
rent coloyrs, Mr. Napier proceeded to notice the
improvements in the breeds of various animals
effected by judicious selection, and he observed that
the same laws which influence the breeding of sheep
and horses exercise their influence on man, who has
thus the means of the improvement of his species in
his own power. The conclusion to which Mr.
Napier araived was, that if man can improve the
race of domestic animals he was bound to apply
the same principles to himself, and that by follow-
ing the rule of judicious selection the race of man
may become elevated in the scale of being.
Mr. Bendyshe, who was in the chair, Dr. Donovan,
Major Owen, Mr. Charlesworth, the Rev. Dunbar
Heath, and other gentlemen took part in the dis-
cussion, which diverged into the comparative merits
of physiognomy and phrenology as indications of
character. An important work on the subject of
resemblance of man to animals, lately published i❑
America, was referred to as confirmatory of some of
the opinions expressed in the paper.
The meeting then adjourned.

TIIR PRINCESS OF WALES.—We arc happy to
report that the little change which has taken place in her
Royal Highness during the past week has boon of a satis-
factory character, and that a small but appreciable im-
provement has shown itself in the condition of the affected
joint. For the rest, her Royal Highness's general health
and spirits continue excellent, whilst, for the last throe or
four nights, the amount of natural and refreshing sleep
which has b3en obtained leaves nothing to be desired.—
The Lancet.

THE EASTER MONDAY REFORM DEMONSTRATION
AT BIRMINGHAM. —Mr. Seholofield and Mr. Bright have
consented to visit Birmingham on the occasion of the
Reform demonstration on Easter Monday, and to take part
in the proceedings of the evening meeting at the Town
Hall. The arrangements for the deinonstratien are nearly
completed. The procession will include representatives
of all the trades of wirmiDgham.