s. vm. AUG. 24, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.
145
father of the Corporation, who became a
member in the year that the paper was
established. Another congratulator is Mr.
Walter Wellsman, whose Diamond Jubilee
editorship of ' Mitchell's Newspaper Press
Directory ' has already been celebrated (see
10 S. iii. 241, 261). Mr. G. L. Gomme also
sends a graceful tribute.
Mr. Firth once described the paper as " the hired bravo of the Corporation." That this description was incorrect its entire history proves. Sir William Soulsby well says of it that " loyalty to the ancient traditions of the City has not prevented its being a dispassionate critic." During fifty years it has been a complete mirror of City life. Its present editor is Mr. George Rooke Collingridge, while the other members of the firm are the sons of the founder, and a nephew, Mr. Leonard Thomas Collingridge. The paper is valuable for its antiquarian articles and City lore, and a glance at recent numbers shows that it is intended that The City Press shall live up to its old traditions, and retain the honourable in- dependent position it has always held in the English press. May it not only cele- brate its Diamond Jubilee, but also be equally prosperous when it shall celebrate its centenary ! JOHN C. FRANCIS.
THE RACIAL PROBLEM OF
EUROPE.
. READERS of ' N. & Q.' who are interested in the question of the racial constitution of the present population may be glad to have the following summary of the problem. Geology shows Europe to have been inhabited by Drift Man and Cave Man. Prehistoric Archaeology, in some respects a branch of the former science, gives evidence of man in the Palaeolithic state of culture, followed by Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron states. As regards the British Isles, early Neolithic man was short in stature and long- headed (dolichocephalic). Late Neolithic and Bronze Age man was tall and round- headed (brachycephalic). Iron Age man almost certainly is the same as the historic Anglo-Saxon race. Mythological legend, by no means to be despised, tells us of certain races, especially in Ireland, e.g., Firbolgs, Tuatha De Danaan, Fair Danes (Finn Gall) and Dark Danes (Dubh Gall). History tells us of Silurians, Goidels, Brythons, Picts, Romans (with their mixed legions from all parts of Europe), Anglo-Saxons, Danes and Northmen, and Normans ; all these in the
British Isles. Anthropolqgy shows in the
present population of Europe, according to
Prof. Deniker, the following distinct races :
(a) Northern, tall, fair, long heads ; (b\
Oriental, short, fair, round heads ; (c\
Iberian, short, dark, long heads ; (d)
Cevenole, short, dark, round heads ; (e)
Littoral, tall, dark, medium heads, tending
to dolichocephaly ; (/) Adriatic, tall, dark.
round heads.
The problem is to correlate these, having regard to cranial measurements, stature,, coloration, and the present as well as past geographical distribution of the races through- out Europe.
The special difficulties are three in number : ( 1 ) To place the Littoral race among historical' or prehistorical facts. (2) Who were the Goidels ? (3) Who were the Picts ?
Three cautions are necessary. First, we must carefully distinguish between ascer- tained fact and probable surmise. Secondly, language is no test of race, e.g., the peoples speaking Celtic languages are not racially homogeneous : they may none of them be true Celts by race. And thirdly, it must not be taken for granted that, as usually asserted, the Goidels came to the British Isles prior to the arrival of the Brythons.
The field of investigation is vast, and theories based on inadequate observation are rife. Isaac Taylor in ' The Origin of the Aryans ' makes a wide generalization by which he includes all the round heads in one race. This apparently simplifies the matter, but really leads to chaos. More facts are needed before any new theories, and perhaps the most valuable help that can be given would be for residents in English country villages to note the numerical pro- portion borne towards the rest of the popula- tion by individuals who are (a) tall, dark- haired, and dark-eyed ; (6) tall, dark-haired, and blue-eyed. Prof. Deniker wrote to me in 1904, " People of high stature, dark complexion, and mesocephalic are more- frequently met than it was supposed at first." I shall be glad to have details of such obser- vations as I have suggested sent directly to me. FRED. G. ACKERLEY.
Grindleton Vicarage, Clitheroe.
MR. WATTS-DUNTON ON SORROW'S * WILD-
WALES.' The author of ' Aylwin ' has
written an interesting introduction to this
work, lately published in the pretty and
marvellously cheap " Everyman's Library."
On one or two points I venture to think that
Mr. Watts-Dunton is not quite accurate.
Borrow does not ignore the Welsh gipsies
