212 CRANIA BRITANNICA. [CHAP. VI I .
mediate, and 20-C dark. In North Derbyshire fair and florid complexions prevail, with light and
lirown hail', and straight noses of good size. Although included in the Danelagh, yet Anglian
peculiarities appear to be common*. Perhaps the Anglo-Saxon blood finds as true a representation
in the Lowlands of Scotland and the border countries as anywhere. Among 300 persons,
farmers, shepherds, hinds, in Midlothian, Dr. Beddoe found his index of nigrescence of hair sink
as low as — 6-1, the percentages of coloui-s of eyes being 73-5 light, 10-5 neutral, and 10- dark.
Among 1380 people of Lothian and the Borders the index was equal to 2-5 only, the proportions
in the colours of the hair being nearly the same. Dr. Beddoe's description is given in these
words:—" The Lothian peasantry seem generally tall, large, and muscular; theii- heads are
liroader, their flgm-es and features rounder, and their cheek-bones less prominent than those of
then' western and northern countrymen. Their complexion is usiially very fair, eyes blue or
light grey, and hair varying from light red and flaxen yellow through divers shades of brown.
Hazel eyes are not rare. The overhanging penthouse brows, which are common among the
Scottish Celts, are less so here, the eyes being less sunken: the nose is generally straightish, and
rather short than long. Foreheads and chins broad and rounded." The East Lothian people
are remarkably free from Celtic admistui'ef.
That most of the central districts of England stiU retain a mixture of aboriginal British
blood is considered to be proved by the prevalence of dark hail- and eyes and dark complexions,
as well as a more medium stature, in the rural populations. Professor John Phillips, the
Geologist, some years since called attention to this subject, which did not escape his acute
observation during pedestrian tours in the neighbourhood of Charnwood Forest, Leicestershii
e. In this county, in Nottingham and Derbyshire, portions of the Danelagh, such prevalence
excited his surprise. He is disposed to attribute it to the Teutonic races not having so
entirely displaced the aborigines in these central districts, but having allowed the latter to
* "We are glad, in this place, to avail ourselves of the matured
observations of Mr. D. Mackintosh, who has attempted
a discrimination of the Saxon tribes. He says, the Saxon
characteristics are, " light brown or flaxen hair ; rather broad
semicircular forehead ; nearly semicircular eyebrows ; blue or
bluish-grey and prominent eyes ; nearly straight nose of moderate
length i rather short, broad face; low cheek-bones;
features excessively regular ; figure smooth and free from projections
; fingers short; more or less tendency to obesity,
especially in the epigastric region," The Saxon, according to
the foregoing characteristics, is not a predominatmg inhabitant
of Kent, is found m the interior of the Isle of Thanet, and in
the neighbourhood of Sandwich ; prevails in a district extending
from East Grinstead in Sussex to Hastings, an area of
considerable breadth, embracing the western part of the "Weald
of Kent, and the fiat country between Chichester and the sea;
between Southampton and Salisbury is very common, and in
the White Horse Valley quite conspicuous.
On the north coast of Kent and scattered through the
interior, a type to which, he says, I shall venture to apply the
term Frisian is very common. " The Frisian has a very fair
complexion ; oval countenance ; rather prominent features ;
moderate reflective faculties; very small veneration, and very
large firmness, giving rise to self-complacency and independence
of authority; long neck; narrow shoulders and
chest, the broadest part of the body being at the pelvis."
The face is very much English, certainly as much so as the
Saxon face.
In the interior of Kent the predominating type is very distmctly
marked, and, he adds, I think may safely be classed
Julian. It is the same as that prevailing in the eastern parts of
the Isle of "Wight. " The Jutian characteristics are very convex
profile; large observing and rather small reflective faculties ;
small wit and ideality; the head narrow and somewhat elongated,
but very much rounded ; very long neck ; narrow
shoulders and chest; predisposition to pulmonary disease ;
broad pelvis; springing gait; adaptation to the ordinary
aifairs of life, accompanying deficient imagination."
In the course of his interesting memoir, which was read
before the Ethnological Society in April 1861, Mr. Mackintosh
endeavours to characterize the peculiarities of many
of the inhabitants of England and Wales. At the conclusion
he contends strongly for order, law, and fixed principles, even
in these minute points, and against varieties springing up at
random, or in an accidental manner; and affirms that " an
ethnological survey of England and "Wales discloses no indications
of types becoming permanently modified through the
influence of climate and habit; for almost everywhere we find
the most diverse peculiarities under precisely the same circumstances."—
Results of Ethnol. Obs. in England and Wales
during the last ten years. Trans. Ethnol. Soc. vol. i. p. 211.
f Contribution, p. 11.
f'-sii.:.
CUAP. VII.] ETHNOLOGICAL RELATIONS OP THE PRESENT POPULATION. 213
remain in greater numbers than historians generally admit. He likewise regards the phenomena
as more observable in the Mercian kingdom than elsewhere, and conjecturally asks, were
the Coritanian Britons in this respect peculiarly favoured * ? We believe these appearances
extend also to many parts of Staffordshire, the seat of the Cornavii, but have good reason to
think that they are to be found mainly in the rural populations, wMlst those of the towns are,
in many cases, a fairer race. The index of nigrescence amongst 250 inhabitants of Leicester was
found to be 20-, the colours of the eyes being proportionately 47-4 fail', 16'2 intermediate, and
36-8 dark. They are of middle stature, strong make, often with dark complexions and with a
northern aspect and speech.
In searching for the representatives of the vigorous conquerors and colonists from the
SCANDINAVIAN north—SO pregnant with influential power—we find clear traces of them in many
and widely separated districts. They appear, wherever they have been congregated in numbers,
to have impressed their character and features on the population in a very decided manner,
whether from the determined measures they took to ensure the subjection or eradication of all
opponents to theii- power (the harmless aborigines, in some regions, might well be deemed
more serviceable than inimical), from the terror theii' name seems to have impressed on all opposing
populations (who fled from theii- presence), or from the peculiarly predominating forces,
both physical and moral, of the race (which, when amalgamated ivith the Anglo-Saxon, may
have preserved its own type in an unusual degree).
I n the Shetlands and Orkneys they had a Norse extraction, or, at least, principally so. But
when these islands were ceded to the Scottish crown, and ever since, the Scotch race has settled
in them, more especiaUy in the Orkneys. Hence the Shetlanders retain a purer Norse blood.
The statui-e of 79 men gives a mean of 5 feet 7-9 inches, measured in theii- shoes t , which mil
be an average of above 5 ft. 7 in. Theii- stature is a little above the average of the United
Kingdom. The mean weight of the 79 Shetlandmen is 169'7 lbs. Av. The great majority of
them have light complexions and fail' haii-, and two-thii'ds of them blue eyes. Dr. Arthur
MitcheU was at the trouble to observe for us the coloiu- of the hair and eyes of 531 Shetlanders.
I n these observations he made use of a different method from that of Dr. Beddoe, and we are
not able to ascertain with correctness what the latter's index of nigrescence would be, but it is
plain that it would be a low minus number. The colours of the eyes, when reduced to a percentage,
appear to be about 82-8 Hght, 11-3 intermediate, and 5-85 dark. The predominance of
fair hair in combination with Kght eyes is remarkable, as the two were present in 405 of these
persons, whUst the combination called the Celtic eye was whoUy absent t Dr. G. W. Spence, of
* Ethnographical Note on the Yichiity of Charnwood
Forest, Report British Assoc. 1848, p. 99.
t All the measurements given have been taken thus, unless
said to be otherwise.
t There is a curious recital in the Journey to the Orkney
Islands," by Principal Gordon of the Scots College of Paris, in
1781 (Trans, of the Soc. of Antiq. of Scotland, vol. i. p. 256),
which has been a source of much learned comment and of
amusement to Dr. Hibbert, in his Description of the Shetland
Islands. The Principal informs us that the inhabitants of
Orkney, who are of the same stem as the Shetlanders, " are
generally strong-bodied and remarkable for the ' flava cajsaries,'
and the • oculi cresii," assigned by Tacitus as distinctive peculiarities
of German nations. That sea-green colour of the eye
which I take to be the meaning of the word casii, is so common
in Orkney that I never met with any person whose eyes
were of a different colour." Dr. Hibbert surmises a defect in
the antiquarian traveller's own vision, and proposes for it the
nosological denomination Pai-ojisis archaologica. We are inclined
to suspect, in the first place, a lapse in the erudite Principal,
with respect to his authority for these unusual expressions
(we are not aware that Tacitus has apphed to the ancient Germans
such terms as either flava cassaries, or oculi ccesii ; "Vitruvius
used the latter phrase), and, secondly, to doubt whether seagreen
were at all the colour intended byit. Dr. Hibbert, without
question of Tacitus's authority, contents himself with an agreeable
banter upon the green-eyed natives of Orkney. Perhaps,
after nil, the oculi ccesii were generally but grey eyes ; and even
2 T?