PIGMENTATION IN OLD AMERICANS — HEDLICKA. 



471 



and even two scientists speak of blonds and brunets their meaning 

 may differ. 



" Pure blonds " may be defined as those persons who have flaxen, 

 blond, golden, yellow, or light brown (near blond) hair, with pure 

 (unmixed) light eyes. More ordinarily, or loosely, all those persons 

 are regarded as " blonds " who have light hair of one or another of 

 the above varieties, with light eyes, whether the latter are pure or 

 would on close examination show traces of brown. And in a still 

 more general way there may be classified as " fair " all those who have 

 hair lighter than medium (including all reds except those of the 

 darkest shades), with light eyes, whether the eyes are pure or would 

 show a mixture on closer scrutiny. 



As to "true brunets," that class naturally comprises those with dark 

 to black hair and medium to dark brown eyes. " Apparent brunets " 

 would be all those with dark to black hair regardless of the color of 

 the eyes. 



Those who do not enter into any one of the above classes are neces- 

 sarily the " intermediates." 



If we arrange our records on this rational basis, we obtain the fol- 

 lowing interesting showing : 



Old Americans : Blonds and brunets. 



(Percentage in round numbers.) 



Males (1,009).. 

 Females (914) . 



Pure 

 blonds. 



Per cent. 

 3 

 3.5 



Ordinary 

 blonds. 1 " 



Per cent. 

 5 

 6.5 



"Fair."* 



Per cent. 

 21 

 24 



True 

 brunets. 



Per cent. 

 6.5 

 11 



Apparent 

 brunets. 8 



Per cent. 

 26 

 31 



Interme- 

 diates. 



Per cent. 

 53 

 46 



1 Includes of course the "pure blonds." 

 * Includes the pure and ordinary blonds. 

 ' Includes true brunets. 



The above table shows clearly that over one-half of the Old Ameri- 

 can males and nearly one-half of the females are neither blonds nor 

 brunets, but intermediates. True and even ordinary blonds are 

 scarce, while true brunets are but little more frequent. Using the 

 most general classificatiton we see that approximately but one-fifth 

 of the males and one-fourth of the females may be classed as " fair " ; 

 and a little over one-fourth of the males with a little over three- 

 tenths of the females as " dark " or apparent brunets. The nature 

 of these results is a good expression of ancestral light and darker 

 types, with the latter probably slightly in predominance. 



The females, even better than in their separate determinations on 

 the eyes and hair, show plainly somewhat more blonds and " fairs " 

 and again more darks, with less intermediates ; thus preserving better 

 than the males the ancestral conditions, 



