By John Beddoe, M.D., LL.I)., F.R.S., &c. 37 



some even of the exceptions may be traced to an admixture of 

 Welsh or gypsy blood. The proportion of both red and black hair 

 is small almost everywhere, bright yellow is uncommon, and the 

 most prevalent hues are various shades of rather dull brown. The 

 eyes, especially in the children, are very often of a beautiful clear 

 blue : a clear hazel, light or dark, is also common, more common 

 in proportion than dark-brown hair. In some districts a kind of 

 muddy hazel-grey is so frequent that recruiting sergeants have 

 termed it " the Wiltshire eye " : it goes with light or brown hair. 

 The eye is usually full, but the iris not large. 



What local differences occur in various parts of the county affect 

 the hair more than the eyes. The farmers and the purely rural 

 population are somewhat fairer than the inhabitants of the towns, 

 small though these be ; this difference may possibly be due more 

 to immigration into the towns from the darker-haired west than 

 to any urban influence. The hair, and still more the eyes, are 

 usually a little darker in women ; but there are curious local 

 vafiations in this respect. 



It will have been observed that Marlborough, Hungerford (in 

 less degree), Wilton, and the whole AVylye Valley, also Chippenham, 

 with Corsham and Lacock, show low indices of nigrescence, i.e., have 

 a comparatively blond population, like to that of Kingwood, outside 

 the county. Salisbury (city and country) follows; and then 

 Cirencester (with Cricklade, &c.) and Weyhill lair (Hants), and 

 tlien Pewsey. Trowbridge town is darker; so is the Hindon 

 district ; and tlie darkest in Wiltshire are Bradford-ou-Avon, 

 Malmesbury, and Calue : the north-eastern district of Somerset 

 being darker still, as on Dr. Guest's theory about the Englishcombe 

 dykes it ought to be. 



The examination of the schoolchildren confirms the results of 

 the more casual inspection of the adults. At Harnham (near 

 Salisbury), where there is known to have been an early Saxon 

 settlement, and at Chippenham (of which presently) there is a 

 great preponderance of light colours ; in Bradford this is less 

 marked, and in Malmesbury, Monkton Farleigh, and Hindon the 

 increase of darker shades is quite conspicuous. 



