The three primary divisions of man, as indicated by Latham, are the Indo-European, the Mongolian and the African.

I. The Indo-European or Caucasic race originally extended from India across Europe, and increasing ever in civilization and intellectual power from age to age, has become the dominant one in the world, extending its influence to every part of the earth, supplanting many inferior races, and repeopling wide areas, as in America and Australia.

The Caucasic race comprises two principal branches - the Aryan and the Semitic. A third branch, according to M. de Quatrefages, includes the Caucasians proper, Euscarians (Basques), and others.

Most of the inhabitants of Europe belong to the Aryan Family; they are arranged in the following groups:

1. The Keltic, in the N. W., comprising the Welsh, Gaels, Erse, Manx, and Armoricans.

2. The Italic, chiefly in the S. W. and S., comprising the Italian and other Romance nations - French, Spanish, Portuguese, Roumanesch, and Roumanians.

3. The Thraco-Hellenic, in the S. E., Greeks and Albanians.

4. The Teutonic, in the N. N. W. and center, comprising the Germans, Scandinavians, Danes, Icelanders, Dutch, Flemings, English.

5. The Lithuanian, S. E. of the Baltic.

6. The Slavonic, in the E., comprising the Russians, Poles, Tsekhs, Serbs, Croats, Bulgarians, etc.

The Indo-European or Caucasic race in Asia comprises the Hindus, Baluchis, Afghans, Iranians (Persia), Galchas (Zarafshan), and the Semitic tribes of Armenia, Syria, Arabia, etc.

II. The Mongolian is divisible into three branches, according to geographical position, which again form numerous smaller families.

1. The Asiatic, comprising the Mongolians of the Chinese Empire, India, and Indo-China; the Kalmucks, adjoining the Turks, who extend from Southern Europe far into Central Asia; the Magyars of Hungary; the Yakuts and Samoeids (or Samo-yedes) of Siberia; with the Lapps, Finns, and various tribes of East Europe.

2. The Oceanic Mongolians are composed of two classes. I. The black-skinned found in New Guinea, Australia, Tasmania, and the islands between New Zealand and New Caledonia. II. The yellow, olive or brown race, occupying New Zealand, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Moluccas, Philippines, Madagascar, etc.

3. The American Mongolians comprise a large number of tribes, the chief of which in North America are - the Athabaskans, Algonkins, Sioux, Paducas, and Mexicans. In South America, the Quichuas, Chilians and Patagonians extend along the west coast. The Caribs, Maypures, Brazilians, Moxos, and Chiquitos occupy the north, east and center of the continent. The Eskimos form a connecting link between the Asiatic and American branches of this family.

III. The African, forming the third great division of the human race, is exhibited in its purest form by the natives of Western Africa. The Negroes occupy the whole central portion of the country from Cape Verde on the west to Khartoom on the east, and south to the Congo. South of the Negroes are the Bantus (including the Kafirs), inhabiting the greater part of Africa between the 4th parallel of N. lat. and the Cape. In the S. W. are the Hottentots. Certain dwarfish tribes are found in different parts of the continent, as the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert, the Obongo of the Ogowe basin, and others. The Fulas and Nubas occupy parts of the Soudan; the former, in the N. W., extend from the Senegal and Niger towards Lake Tchad; the latter are found in Nubia, Kordofan, Darfur, etc. The Gallas, Copts, Somali, of the Sahara, Egypt, and East Africa; the Abyssinians; and the Berbers, Kabyles, Tuareks and other tribes of North Africa, belong to the Hamitic race, which is closely allied to the Semitic race.

The latter is represented by the Arabs of the N. coast, and of the Arabian Peninsula, and by the Tigres and other tribes of Abyssinia.