first ages of the world."

With regard to the physical character of the Americans, it appears,
according to Dr Martius, that the principal characteristic is the
truncation, or flatness, of the occipital portion of the cranium; the
forehead wide, but low, supposed upon rather insufficient data to be
moulded to this shape by artificial means; and the nose arched. In the
new as in the old continent, the diversities of physical character do
not correspond with the ethnical divisions. The principal criterion of
the latter adopted by Dr Prichard is the affinity of languages; and,
when this is insufficient to found any probable opinions, conjectures
derived from geographical or traditional evidence are called in aid.
Upon these grounds the Americans are arranged and described by the
author, into the details of which, for the same reason as before stated,
we regret not being able to follow him.

Since, however, the first pages of this article were written, a
discovery has been announced connected with the physiology of the
American aborigenes, which, if subsequently verified, will be of much
importance, both as to the anthropological classification of the
Americans, and as to the natural history of man generally. In a letter
addressed to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and
republished in the _Philosophical Magazine_ for July last, is an account
of the researches of Dr Lund, who has been for some time engaged in
geological investigation in Minas Geraes, a province of Brazil. While
examining the caverns of calcareous rocks, he has found in one of them,
mixed with the bones of extinct races of animals, human bones, having
all the character of fossils; they are stated to be in part petrified,
and in part penetrated with iron particles, which gave to them a
metallic lustre resembling bronze; they were of extraordinary weight;
the crania presented the narrow forehead, prominent zygomatic bones, the
facial angle, the maxillary and orbital conformation of the American
race. The depression of the forehead in many instances is said to amount
to a total disappearance. With the bones was found a smooth stone, about
ten inches in circumference, apparently intended to bruise seeds or hard
substances. In other caverns were found human bones, but unaccompanied
with those of other animals. These facts, if confirmed, will furnish us
with most important evidence as to the past state of the Americans, and
the ancient histor