The Australians, who are regarded as negroes by some authorities, must be considered au in dependent race presenting physical characteris tics which differentiate them from the true negro, notwithstanding their dark skins.
There are, however, in the East Indian Archi pelago, in New Guinea and Melanesia, and in .Madagascar negroid tribes whose classification and relationships present difficulties at present insurmountable. Of these stocks the Papuans of New Ouinea and the Melanesians are the most numerous and important. They are a dark skinned, tall. dolichocephalic race, and differ physically from the African negro chiefly in the hair, which is longer and mop-like. and in facial features, which latter, however, are variable. There are no safe grounds for considering them as a branch of the true negro stock other than the striking resemblance in skill color.
At different points in the northern portion of this region are found scattered groups of an undersized negroid stock commonly called Negritos. They are usually compared with the dwarf races of Africa and undoubtedly do offer striking similarities in physical characters, but in other respects scorn to correspond rather to the Australian and Papuan.
The parentage of the negroids of Madagascar is also in dispute. The proximity of Africa would indicate an origin from that continent, and there are both physical and cultural facts to support the view, but there are also unmistakable signs of Melanesian traits which suggest immi gration from both regions.
Much has been written as to the mental eapa city of the negro. but trustworthy information is scanty. Such few careful observations as have been made upon negro brains indicate a slightly lower type than that of Europeans; but the variability is so high as to forbid drawing any conclusions regarding the accompanying intel lectual powers—a statement which holds true of the natives of Melanesia as well as of Africa.
In culture the negro presents almost as many degrees and varieties as there are stocks. A relatively low grade represented by eertain of the Sudanese, 'Bantu, and dwarf tribes is found side by side with a relatively high civilization. as, for example, that of the Hausa; but it must be admitted that the sporadic examples of marked eultural progress in Africa can almost invariably be traced to Arabic or other foreign influence. Environment has, of course, produced
specific types of culture in different parts of the continent, such as the cattle-breeding, pastoral life of the south and west, and the strictly hunting life of the dwarfs of the equatorial for ests, and this diversity makes general statements dangerous or impossible.
With regard to religion, we find an extensive animism which has lleveloiwd remarkably at dif ferent points. For example. the ancestor wor ship of the Zulus has been carried to a logical extreme, which is unique among savages. and the complex fetishism of West Africa is every where regarded as the type of that phase of Political organization is equally diverse, rang Mg from hereditary kingship to sod' loose tribal systems that no chieftainship is ascertainable.
In comparison with other great groups of man kind, the negro seems to possess certain tempera mental qualities which are more or less charac teristic, being lively, excitable, and hind of social life and discussion; and this trait has undoubt edly played an important rile in the development of certain phases of African culture. Our knowl edge of the majority of the negro tribes of Africa is still lamentably slight. but, with the extension of European interests in that continent. much valuable information is coining to light. See NEGRO EnUcATION.
Keane. "Africa." in Stanford's Compendium of Geography and Trnrcl (London.
; id., .11 an, Past and Present (Cambridge, IS99) ; Bleck, The Languages of Western and Southern .1fries. ( London, I 8.5G ) ; id., .1 ('cmrpara tir'e Grammar of South African Languages (ib.. 181;2) ; Cust, a Skrtch of the Modcrn Languages of Africa (ib., 188:1) ; Schweinfurth, The //curt of Afrieu (New York, P-174) ; Nachtigal. Sahara um/ Sudan ( 1877) ; Johnston, The Itirrr Congo (London, I554 ; id., The Uganda Protec torate (ib., 19012); Ellis, Thr Tshi-Spraking Pea IdeR Oh, 1857 ; id., The Eirr-tircrzking Peoples Oh, 1:00 id., The Yoruba-Speaking Peoples (ib., IS94) ; Junket-, Trarels in Africa (ib., 1890 9'2).