292 DARWINISM STATED BY DARWIN HIMSELF. 



peculiarities in blushing seem to be inherited. Sir James 

 Paget, while examining the spine of a girl, was struck at 

 her singular manner of blushing : a big splash of red ap- 

 peared first on one cheek, and then other splashes vari- 

 ously scattered over the face and neck. He subsequently 

 asked the mother whether her daughter always blushed 

 in this peculiar manner, and was answered, "Yes, she 

 takes after me." Sir J. Paget then perceived that, by 

 asking this question, he had caused the mother to blush ; 

 and she exhibited the same peculiarity as her daughter. 



Mr. Washington Matthews has often seen 



Page 318. _■_ • ,, , . ., 



a blush on the faces of the young squaws be- 

 longing to various wild Indian tribes of North America. 

 At the opposite extremity of the continent, in Tierra del 

 Fuego, the natives, according to Mr. Bridges, "blush 

 much, but chiefly in regard to women ; but they cer- 

 tainly blush also at their own personal appearance. " 

 This latter statement agrees with what I remember of 

 the Fuegian, Jemmy Button, who blushed when he was 

 quizzed about the care which he took in polishing his 

 shoes, and in otherwise adorning himself. 



Several trustworthy observers have assured 

 me that they have seen on the faces of negroes 

 an appearance resembling a blush, under circumstances 

 which would have excited one in us, though their skins 

 were of an ebony-black tint. Some describe it as blush- 

 ing brown, but most say that the blackness becomes more 

 intense. 



I will give an instance of the extreme dis- 

 turbance of mind to which some sensitive men 

 are liable. A gentleman, on whom I can rely, assured 



