tion respecting the characteristics and geographical distribution of the true negro of the west and of the east coast of Africa. Mr. DU VAL observed that there is a peculiarity in the physiognomy of the negro sufficient to distinguish him, in his projecting lips, his flat nose, and the placing of his head, independently of the colour of his skin. The length of his heel was also characteristic. So that at neither extremity of his body did the negro resemble ourselves; and he doubted very much whether he could be considered a "brother," or even a relative. It was well known that the negroes had never attained a position among civilised men. Every attempt to civilise them had failed, for they had always gone back to their original state. Mr. REDDIE thought they should never come to a satisfactory conclusion respecting the capability of negroes for civilisation until they had some definition of what was meant by civilisation. No one would deny that the negro might be improved, and taught to do certain things, as some domesticated animals may be, but could that be called civilisation? The Southern States of America had been alluded to as having improved the negroes, and the degree of improvement they had attained had been appealed to by both parties as supporting their opposite opinions. It was a great pity that there should be so much party spirit as existed in America on this question. But in a society like this, they might get rid of the question whether freedom should be immediately granted to the negroes or not. He supposed no one there would object to the negro becoming free, so soon as he is fitted for freedom; at the same time he thought the true philanthropists were those who would keep the slaves in slavery so long as it was for their benefit, but, of course, under humane laws, and with proper regulations for their ultimate manumission. The questions of capability of civilisation and of fitness for freedom, though separate, had been mixed up in the paper, and had thus added to the difficulty of considering the subject. He thought, however, that some conclusions might be arrived at from the facts already known, without the necessity of having experimental islands, as had been suggested by the President. He expected that the author of the paper would have taken a bolder line; but as the question had been treated, he did not know whether Mr. Pusey wished to regard the negro as having always been in a savage condition, or whether he thought that, having once been in a higher position, he had since sunk down to a savage state. If he meant that the African in the central parts of Africa had ever attained a state of civilisation, then the negroes on the coast were unquestionably a degraded race, and it could not be expected that, if they remained under the same influences, they would be improved. The only chance of their improve. ment was to place them among a higher race. To suppose that without such influence they could rise from a lower state was absurd, because against our actual experience. Even with the influence of civilisation it was a very hard task to raise the negro to a state approaching the European. Before, however, they could determine the question of the negro's capacity for civilisation, they must first have a definition of what was meant by the term. The better kind of negroes in America are, no doubt, superior to many Europeans in this country, for we have many degraded people among us; but individual instances could not settle the question. Those who assumed the natural equality of the negro race to us, were met with this difficulty: if the negro were capable of rising to a state of civilisation equal to the European; and if he could even achieve it without the influence of a higher race, how could they account for his now being, throughout the world, in a degraded condition? If the negroes possess the power to elevate themselves, why do they not rise? Why have they not already risen? Mr. BOUVERIE PUSEY then replied severally to the objections which had been made to his paper. With respect to Dr. Caplin's objection, that he had treated the subject too commercially, he said he had only treated it as to shew that the conduct of the emancipated negroes was different according to the different modes in which they had been treated. He agreed that the condition of slavery tends to cramp the energy of the slaves, who, having no difficulties to encounter in procuring food and clothing, never acquired the habit of forethought and provision; and what they had done for themselves under those circumstances he considered very remarkable. The President had objected that the authorities quoted in the paper were very old, but to many of them that objection would not apply; for instance, he had quoted in support of his views Sewell, Underhill, Burton, Bates, and Wallace, all of whom were modern authors. But why should not old authorities be trustworthy? It had been said that they were partial and biassed by political prejudices, but all those he had quoted, with one exception, were against the abolitionists. The President thought that the evidence of Mr. Wallace and Mr. Bates was exceptional to that of other modern travellers; but his investigations led him to entertain a different opinion, the general evidence appearing to him to be favourable to the negro. Mr. Witt and Mr. Blake had adverted to physical differences between the negro and European. That, however, was a large subject, and not exactly now under discussion. Whatever might be the result of anatomical investigation, it would not affect his argument; for his own part, indeed, he, while as a transmutationist not attaching to the distinction the same importance as many a transmutationist, believed the negro to be a different species from the European. Mr. Bendyshe had laid stress on the difference between the negro in Africa and out of it, and that when out of Africa the negro was altered by mixed blood. If that were so, it would be in favour of his (Mr. Pusey's) argument; but he did not think much confusion could arise between the true negroes and those of mixed blood. He agreed that it was important to distinguish between the different tribes of negroes in Africa, though most persons believe that they all belong to the same stock. Mr. Reddie had drawn distinctions between the capacity for civilisation and such improvements as take place in the negro when in a state of slavery. It was true that a negro might be made a slave and taught certain things in the same manner as brutes are taught, but that was only domestication. In his opinion, nothing could be termed civilisation that does not imply freedom, and the possession of sufficient qualities of intelligence and perseverance to fulfil the duties of civilised life. It had been asked by Mr. Reddie, why does not the negro, if capable of civilisation, civilise himself? He (Mr. Pusey) might ask, in reply, why have not the New Zealanders and other barbarous races raised themselves to a state of civilisation equal to the Europeans? It had been objected that many of the cases he adduced were only individual instances, and that they proved nothing, but for his part he considered that individual instances prove a great deal in connection with other things. The PRESIDENT stated that another paper had been announced to be read, respecting human remains discovered in a kist in the Isle of Portland, but it had been ascertained that the flint flakes found with them were spurious, and the paper had consequently been withdrawn. The President then said it was his present duty to announce that the meetings of the society for the season had been brought to a close, and that the next meeting would be held on the 1st November. At the approaching meeting of the British Association at Bath, anthropology would be represented in Section E, and he trusted the Fellows of the Anthropological Society would meet there and support the claims of anthropology to be recognised as a distinct science in the proceedings of the association. During the six months that had elapsed since the anniversary meeting, two hundred new Fellows had been added to their list, and he hoped that under the influence of their assistant secretary, Mr. Blake, and that of the Council, when they met again, he should have to announce a considerable increase of members and the further success of the Society. The meeting then adjourned to the 1st November next. INDEX. Anthropological desiderata, Reddie on, CXV Arrowheads from the Bin of Cullen, A. Britons, Thurnam on the crania of, Brazil, on human remains from a bone Canada, Fairbank on, Broca, Dr. Paul, ccxxxiv Basque skulls, Broca on, celxxviii Bendyshe, T. on the extinction of races, on the precautions which xxxiv, cxii, cxxxii, clxxiii, on the construction of the on the alleged peculiar cha- and Captain R. F. Burton, on a Jaw on Basque skulls, and Bryson, A., on arrowheads from the Burgholzhausen, Count Marschall von, Burton, Captain, V.P.A.S.L., and C. Carter Blake, on Skulls from Anna- Dingle, the Rev. J., xxix, xxxix, xl, lvi Fairbank, Dr. F. Royston on flint arrow- Farrar, the Rev. F. W. on the univer- сехxі on human Hybridity, Louis, xxii, ccxx, ccxxviii God, Farrar on the universality of belief y Guppy, H. F. J., on the capabilities of Pinkerton, W., cexiv Pusey, S. E. B. Bouverie on the Negro Hunt, Dr. James, on the Negro's Place vi, 1, 1x, lxxii, cviii, Jacob, Captain Eustace W., on the Joass, the Rev. J. W., on Pre-historic Kerr, the Rev. Mr., ccxx Kent's Hole, near Torquay, on human Lee, Richard on the Extinction of Races, XCV Mackenzie, K. R. H., cclxxii Markham, Clements R. on quartz cut- Marshall, Professor J. on a microce- Middleton, John, ccliv Mind and Language, Pike on the places Negro's Place in Nature, Hunt on the, xcix clviii xx, lx, cxii, cxxxii, cxxxiv, Roberts, Geo. E., and Professor Busk, on mammalian bones from Audley End, lxi and Rev. J. M. Joass on pre- and Carter Blake on human on a jaw from Build. was Abbey, co. Salop, cclxxii celv, cclxxv, cclxxvii Shortt, Dr. John, on the Domber, St. Clair, G., cev, celxviii duction of, from the New World, celvi Wallace, Alfred R. on the origin of lxxiii, cx, cxxix, clvi, |