138 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

 

less coarse and straight. The color of the skin

varies from a clear brown to a dark olive. In
the Papuans, it is dark brown, and even black.

ol,

 

AUSTRALIAN. AMERICAN INDIAN.
Fig, 122, Secondary Races of Men,

This race inhabits the southern part of the
Malay Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and
the islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The different peoples included under the Malay
race present the most strongly marked contrasts.
The Papuans, for example, differ widely in their
appearance from the normal Malay. They are,

perhaps, allied more closely to the Australians
than to any others.

366. The Australian Race is to be regarded as
a sub-variety.of the Papuan branch of the Ma-
lays. It inhabits all the continent of Australia
not settled by the whites.

The Australian race possesses the following
characteristics: the head is large; eyes deep-set ;
nose broad; hair dark; beard abundant. The
color of the skin varies from dark brown to deep
black. The Australians are almost wholly desti-
tute of civilization.

367. The American, or Copper-colored Race,
though containing many widely differing varie-
ties, yet possesses, In some respects, many com-
mon features. Its general resemblance to the
Mongolian is evident, but the top of the skull is
more rounded, and the sides less angular. This
race, though once numerous and powerful, is now
rapidly disappearing before the whites.

In Lower California, Mexico, Peru, and Bra-
zil, the old races have become mixed with Span-
ish and other elements.

The ruins of temples, and once populous cities, are com-
mon on the high Andean plateaus. These parts of the
earth were inhabited at the time of the discovery of the
continent by a people who had made considerable progress
in the art of working metals, and who were probably of
Asiatic origin.

The plateaus of Central America contain the traces of a
still higher, though more ancient civilization, the origin
of which is unknown, though some trace it to a Semitic
or an Egyptian source.

ORR IA OT

SYLLABUS.

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The animals of any section of country are called its

fauna.

Notwithstanding their powers of locomotion, animals
are restricted, by conditions of food and climate, to well-
defined areas.

Since animals are dependent for their existence upon
plants, the heat and moisture of any given section of
country form the true basis for the distribution of its
fauna.

We distinguish a horizontal and vertical distribution
of animal life.

The same change is noticed, in the species of animals,
in passing from the base to the summit of high tropical
mountains, as in passing along the surface of the earth
from the equator to the poles.

Terrestrial animal life attains its greatest development,
both as regards luxuriance and diversity, within the
tropics.

Marine animal life attains its greatest development in
the colder waters of the polar regions and vicinity.

Man attains his greatest mental development in the
temperate zone.

As regards the vertical distribution of life, the fauna of
regions between the sea level and 5000 or 7000 feet, resem- °
bles, in general, that of the tropics; between the preced-
ing and 15,000 feet, that of the temperate zones.

The boundaries of animal regions are, in general, to be
found in the isothermal lines.

As a class, animals appear to possess to but a limited de-
gree the power of living in a climate differing greatly
from that in which they were first created.

The fauna of the earth may be conveniently arranged |
under three heads: the tropical, temperate, and arctic.

The tropical fauna are characterized by the number and
diversity of terrestrial species, as well as their size
strength, and sagacity. —