﻿NO. I NATIVES OF KHARGA OASIS HRDLICKA 33 



observed, in no way particular, and the exposed parts, as elsewhere, 

 are generally darker than those habitually covered. On the head, 

 which is always covered, the skin is occasionally nearly as white as 

 in brunet Europeans. The color of the eyes is generally medium to 

 dark brown. 



HAIR 



The hair is as a rule black, and in those who are not mixed with 

 the negro it is generally straight or approaching straight. It runs 

 thus in 88 per cent of the men examined ; in 6 per cent it was black 

 and distinctly wavy; in 5 per cent black with a tendency to curl; 

 and in 1 individual it was dark brown and straight. In women, 

 where the hair is much longer (many of the men clip the hair short 

 or even shave the head), it is, so far as could be observed, generally 

 more or less wavy, with occasional tendency to curl ; in children it is 

 straight, wavy or slightly curly. The Coptic mummies at El Baguat 

 showed in general hair that was black and straight to moderately 

 wavy. A decidedly curly hair in Kharga natives was as a rule found 

 associated with thick lips and other negro features. It appears, in 

 fact, as if the tendency to curly hair was one of the most lasting 

 effects in the progeny of one-time negro admixture. 



Grey hair, to any appreciable extent, was only seldom noticed 

 before the 40th year, and occasionally men of 48-50 years of age 

 showed hair that was nearly all black. At 55 and above greyness was 

 as a rule advanced. 



As to beard, conditions were found as follows : In 94 per cent of the 

 men examined the color of the hair on the face was black, while in 

 6 per cent it was dark but not quite black; and in a number of 

 additional cases the moustache showed a trace lighter than the rest 

 of the beard which was black. The quantity of the moustache was 

 fair in 8, moderate in 49 and scanty in 43 per cent of the individuals ; 

 the chin beard was fair in quantity in 5, moderate in 30, scanty in 

 49 and absent (naturally) or nearly so in 16 per cent of the cases. 

 The total absence of beard was noticed however, with a very few 

 exceptions, only in those below 30 years of age. In form the hair of 

 the face, when longer, shows generally more or less tendency towards 

 waviness. This is especially true of the chin beard and of the more 

 distal parts of both beard and moustache. Greyness of moustache 

 was found to begin somewhat later and to be generally less advanced 

 than that of the hair of the scalp ; that of the chin beard was seen to 

 begin about the same time as that of the head. 



