772 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



namely, that certain factors, either climate, economic status, or 

 habits of life, are competent to produce appreciable changes in 

 the color of the hair and eyes. 



Since, at this point, we are venturing forth upon an uncharted 

 sea, it behooves us to stop a moment and examine what store of 

 argument we have on hand. Two theses we hope to have proved 

 respecting those portions of central Europe which are character- 

 ized by the broad-headed Alpine type of population. The first is 

 that this racial element being the most ancient, becomes relatively 

 more frequent in the areas of isolation, where natural conditions 

 have been least disturbed by immigrants. In the byways, the 

 primitive inhabitant ; in the highways, the marauding intruder ! 

 This principle is as old as the hills. It is certainly true of lan- 

 guages and customs, why not likewise of race ? We shall be able 

 to establish its verity for all parts of Europe in due time. It 

 forms the groundwork of our socio-geographical theory. The 

 second thesis, no less important, is that this primitive Alpine 

 type of population normally tends to be darker in hair and eyes 

 than the blue-eyed, flaxen-haired, and long-headed Teutonic peo- 

 ples on the north ; and that, on the other hand, by its grayish 

 hazel eyes and brownish hair, this broad-headed type is to be dis- 

 tinguished from its more thoroughly brunette neighbor at the 

 south. The geographical evidence afforded by our map of Europe 

 all gives tenability to this view that the Alpine type is interme- 

 diate in the color of hair and eyes. It will serve as proof provision- 

 ally at least. In the next paper we shall discuss the matter of the 

 association of separate traits into racial types from another point 

 of view. We shall run up against some contradictory evidence, 

 to be sure, but satisfactory disposition may be made of this when 

 it appears. In the meantime we assume it to be geographically, 

 if not indeed as yet anthropologically, proved beyond question. 



What deduction is to be made from these two theses we have 

 just outlined ? The third side of our logical triangle seems to be 

 fixed. If the areas of isolation are essentially Alpine by race, 

 and if this ethnic type be truly intermediate in pigmentation, 

 the byways, nooks, and corners of central Europe ought normally 

 to be more brunette than the highways and open places all along 

 the northern Teutonic border. Contrariwise, toward the south 

 the indigenous undisturbed Alpine populations ought to be lighter 

 than the heterogeneous ones, infused with Mediterranean brunette 

 blood, if we may use the term. Since mountainous areas are less 

 exposed to racial contagion by virtue of their infertility and un- 

 attractiveness as well as by their inaccessibility or remoteness 

 from dense centers of population, we may express our logical in- 

 ference in another way. Where the Teutonic and the Alpine 

 racial types are in contact geographically the population of 



