Abstract
Revue d'Anthropologie, troisième série, tome iii. fasc. 1 (Paris, 1888).—On the colour of the eyes and hair among the non-nomadic Tunisian tribes, by Dr. R. Collignon, based on the observations of Capt. Rebillet and Lieut. Fannezo. These observations, which were conducted in accordance with the methods employed in France for similar investigations, refer to more than 2000 individuals belonging to the “sedentary” or settled populations of the towns and rural districts. The men observed being all regular soldiers, the tables do not refer to any nomads of Arab race, since all the dwellers in tents are exempt from conscription in Tunis. Expressed in general terms, among these 2030 individuals, dark eyes occurred in 1543 cases, or 7.6 per cent., and light eyes in 69 cases, or 3.5 per cent.; while dark hair occurred in 1887 cases, or 92 per cent, and light hair only in 7 cases, or 0.4 per cent. On considering the data obtained from a comparison of the tables referring to different districts, it is found that the blond type occurs only sporadically, and almost exclusively in the littoral settlements, on which account Dr. Collignon thinks it may be assumed that its presence in the Tunisian population is due to the incidental amalgamation of foreign elements through invasion or immigration by more northern races.—On the colour of the eyes and hair in Denmark, by Herr Soren Hansen (communicated to the Society by Dr. Topinard). From this paper we learn that observations made on 2000 males of the age of twenty, belonging to the southern and eastern districts of Jutland, yielded the following results: light, i.e. blue, eyes, 1527; dark eyes, 65; leaving 408 of medium colour. In regard to the colour of the hair it was found necessary to establish four groups, which gave the following figures: dark brown, 306; medium, 1267; light (blond), 333; and red, 94. From this it would appear that the majority of the population have blue eyes, and medium brown, or chestnut, hair. A further analysis of Herr Hansen's tables shows that while the perfect brown type—i.e. where both hair and eyes are dark—occurs only in 2.7 per cent.; blond hair and light eyes are met with in 16.2 per cent. Finally the curious circumstance has been deduced that while light eyes are twenty-four times more frequent than dark ones, light hair is only seven times more frequent than dark hair; hence Dr. Topinard is led to ask whether the explanation of this peculiarity may not have to be sought in some general law by which in a mixed race, descended from blond and dark races, the eyes may be more generally transmitted from the former, and the hair from the latter.—On recruiting in the cantons of St.-Omer, by Dr. H. Favier. The enormous difference in the cantons north and sauth of St.-Omer in the number of persons available for military service has been attracting much notice among French officers of late years. According to M. Costa, who wrote on the subject in 1866, these differences are due to hygienic causes; the district north of St.-Omer, where the rejections are only 227 in 1000, being well adapted to agricultural and other rural pursuits, while in the southern canton, where the rejections amount to 342 in 1000 the lands are almost all marshy, exposing the inhabitants to fevers and other malarian influences by which the race is deteriorated. Dr. Favier does not believe that these causes affect the question in any way, but, even if they did so when M. Costa wrote, statistics prove that of late years, more especially since the stricter law of conscription of 1872 has been put into force, the south canton has shown a gradual diminution in the numbers of rejections; and while he denies the action of malarian causes or the influence of differences of ethnic origin between the people of the two cantons, he believes that to industrial centres, such as d'Arques in the southern canton, may very possibly be ascribed certain conditions antagonistic to the success of recruiting.—On the “castellets” of Mont Sainte-Baume in Provence, by Dr. Beranger-Féraud. The presence of numerous little heaps of stones on the higher peaks of Mont Sainte-Baume has repeatedly arrested the attention of strangers, and the fact of their having been deposited by the hand of man is now confirmed by Dr. B. Féraud, who last year made the ascent of the mountain for the purpose of investigating their character and purpose. These so-called “castellets” (little castles) are either composed of several stones forming a rude sort of pyramid, or of one large stone inserted in a fissure of the rocky soil. Although widely distributed, they are most frequent in the vicinity of the oratory of Saint-Pilon, where they are found at an elevation of nearly 1000 feet, close to the edge of the vertical wall of rock forming the northern boundary of the range. On inquiry he learnt that these structures were also locally designated moulouns de joye (heaps of joy), and that they were not alone intended to testify to the successful ascent of the pilgrims to the summit of St. Pilon, but were frequently designed to propitiate St. Magdalen, to whom prayers are made on the spot for approval of the special maiden whom the worshipper may desire to marry. In the latter case the mound is visited by the builder at the end of a year, and if he finds the stones undisturbed he considers that the saint approves of his choice; if, however, the heap is broken up, this is generally regarded as a decisive barrier against the intended marriage. In this superstition,. Dr. B. Féraud sees a survival of the ancient usage of erecting stone monuments as altars, pillars, menhirs, &c., to commemorate some important personal event.—On inequality amongst men, by M. de Lapouge. In this address the view is boldly advocated that a man is what his birth made him, and that education can do no more for him than develop the pre-existing germs derived from his progenitors in accordance with the laws of heredity. This reasoning is extended to classes, nations, and races, who are assumed to be unequal, and incapable of attaining to an equal degree of perfection. The writer divides men into four classes, in the first of which he places those possessed of creative and initiative faculties above their fellows, while it is to the relative numerical preponderance of this class over the others that he refers the undoubted superiority of one race over another. He thus sees in the dolichocepalic blonds the most favoured of all the races of humanity, since, from the dawn of history, all heroes and leaders among men have belonged to this type. In modern times the Anglo-Saxon race has owed its superiority to the preponderance of this dolichocephalic element. He believes that France is suffering from the diminution of this type in its population, together with the rising predominance of the brachycephalic type to which the lower classes of the community belong, while he anticipates as inevitable a great deterioration of the general national character through the amalgamation of the two. Similarly he sees in the present movement for raising the negro races a deep source of danger in the future to the more highly gifted Aryan races, who may in time find themselves beaten down by the brute force of teeming masses of inferior brachycephalic peoples. Such are some of the leading points in M. de Lapouge's treatise, which, notwithstanding its redundancy of diction, and the dogmatism with which certain views are maintained, is a highly interesting, suggestive, and learned contribution to ethical inquiry.
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Scientific Serials . Nature 37, 477–478 (1888). https://doi.org/10.1038/037477a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/037477a0