Originally published in 1962, the information in this survey was based on a study of the physical characteristics of the inhabitants of Southern Nigeria. The study took place during the course of thirty years spent in West Africa, with the examination of nearly seven thousand people from various areas. After an introductory chapter reviewing earlier classification of the peoples of the region, the statistical chapters define certain sample characteristics and describe methods for their calculation. The relationship between sample and population and the problem of group divergence are then investigated. The final sections constitute the statistical analysis of the complete material assembled in the study. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in statistics and the development of anthropology.