Chap. XIII. BLUSHING. 315 



greater tendency in English women of these parts than 

 of others to blush; for the hands are well supplied with 

 nerves and small vessels, and have been as much ex- 

 posed to the air as the face or neck, and yet the hands 

 rarely blush. We shall presently see that the attention 

 of the mind having been directed much more frequently 

 and earnestly to the face than to any other part of the 

 body, probably affords a sufficient explanation. 



Blushing in the various races of man. — The small 

 vessels of the face become filled with blood, from the 

 emotion of shame, in almost all the races of man, though 

 in the verv dark races no distinct change of colour can 

 be perceived. Blushing is evident in all the Aryan na- 

 tions of Europe, and to a certain extent with those of 

 India. But Mr. Erskine has never noticed that the necks 

 of the Hindoos are decidedly affected. "With the Lep- 

 chas of Sikhim, "Mr. Scott has often observed a faint 

 blush on the cheeks, base of the ears, and sides of the 

 neck, accompanied by sunken eyes and lowered head. 

 This has occurred when he has detected them in a false- 

 hood, or has accused them of ingratitude. The pale, 

 sallow complexions of these men render a blush much 

 more conspicuous than in most of the other natives of 

 India. With the latter, shame, or it may be in part fear, 

 is expressed, according to Mr. Scott, much more plainly 

 by the head being averted or bent down, with the eyes 

 wavering or turned askant, than by any change of colour 

 in the skin. 



The Semitic races blush freely, as might have been 

 expected, from their general similitude to the Aryans. 

 Thus with the Jews, it is said in the Book of Jeremiah 

 (chap. vi. 15), " Nay, they were not at all ashamed, 

 neither could they blush." Mrs. Asa Gray saw an Arab 

 managing his boat clumsily on the Xile, and when 



