found very convenient and useful in facilitating an inquiry into
the nature of such varieties. It is likewise necessary,'in order
to prevent the -frequent repetition of descriptive'phrasesj^ifo
adopt some technical expressions or. appropriate terms, under
which all the characteristics of each class may be collectively
understood and recalled, without thenecessity of recapitulation.
I shall therefore adopt thalpllowing terms and descriptions. !
1. The blaGk-haired or melanocomous or melanous variety,
characterised by black or very dark hair.
2. The xanthous variety, distinguished by yellow, or what
is termed red or light brown hair, and by eyes of a bide'
or other light colour. The skin is, in persons of this descrip.-«
tion, generally fair, as I have before remarked*
3. The leucous variety. Individuals of the human kind
who belong to this class, are termed albinos, but the
sion is not usually applied to animals, and it is desirable to
have some generally applicable^pithet. The di&tiftginshing
Characters o f this variety are a red hue o f the choroidaè al-'
ready described; the hair is usually either white,.or-of a pale'
or cream colour, its texture being peeuliarLyisoft and*r©seaai^
bling combed flax; the skin is very light and fair, and easily |
reddened and blistered on exposure to th a sun, even in albinos
- born in. the NegyOjra.ee. m
I shall now add a few particulars respecting these varieties
P of complexion.
1. O f the Melanocomous variety.
The black-haired variety forms by far the most numerous
class of mankind. It is the complexion-generally prevalent,-
except in some particular countries* chiefly in the northern
regions of Europe and Asia, where races of the xanthous
variety have multiplied, and it may be looked upon as the
natural and original complexion of the human species. This
variety-is distinguished by the hair, both crinal and pilar,
being quite black. The crinal hair in these races is of various
texture and growth, from the long and lank hair of the native
Americans, to the fine crisp hair of the African Negroes.
But varieties in the texture of • hair will be consideted
ijf a^ ^ s e p am t^ lia ^ ^ h iii' ;we: "ha^'*bhly' to speak of its
tQplour:, i
~ ; The hue of the; skin'varidsin the' bifeck-haired frbm a
.deep .black? which is th e 1 colour of some African nations, to a
much lighter^ of more dilute<sb!ade^ ' The dusky hue is combined
in some-natiOns with a mixture of red, in others with a
tinge of yellow; - The former* are thV cdpper-coloured nations
of America ia^nd* Africa ; - theS’latter the olrvfe^Kldiared races of
Asia; In thei deepness or intensity'ofifeolOjir 'we' find*« every
shade>or .gradation; fromithe black ofdfihe^iienegal Negro, or
:t*hie; deep' olivep and almasifjeNflack jlpf> the -Malabais and
SopAodt'bs^^ations of India,’to the light dhvel o f Hhfe northern
Hindoos. | From that westrlk .trace ev-ery. varietyr 'Of ' shade
^Ong..the,’Persians and other* Asiatics,'to the-complexion of
the( ,tswarthy i Spaniaids,” or o f , black^haired Europeans in
Igeneral..*,1’
. % O f the Leucous variety.
Exampleii, of> the leueohs §Variety; havh beenf moliteed in
,|t£jg|jg$$^ll countries; .Either^ they more1 frequently occur in
dark-,coloured races and in hot countriee^ or they have been
|na.qre the objects ij of! attention, when appearing under such
cir.GumSitan cest
, i In -»Europeg they^are by no means infrequent; Blumenbach
SE.ys. be lias seen sixteen instances* in Germany.; European
albinos.. present some f variety of appearance. Their hair is
sometimes as white as that of old age, and not differing in
tqEtjire from th a t'o f the ordinary k in d ; ^ a t others fitds of a
very pale yellowish white, or cream colour, flowing in long
straight bundles of soft, silky texture, which Blumenbach
with reason compares to goat’s wool. I have1 seen examples
of both, in persons b.orn in Europe, of genuine European
descent. Those African albinos, who are termed white
negroes, have coarse woolly hair of a white colour. The red
iris has often a tremulous motion, and the eye is very sensible
to light. The skin in European albinos is; like th a t of the
very fair sanguine complexion, h