RECORD OF FAMILY FACULTIES. 



in America, 1 where the mental fidget, social worry, business anxiety, and 

 other conditions that characterise modern civilisation, are even more 

 pressing- than with us, that black-haired persons are less liable to 

 permanent ill-effects from nearly every form of disease, than those who 

 are fair-haired. 



It would be easy to discover from an analysis of a considerable 

 number of family records. 



(a) Whether it be true that children born during a recent period 

 in England are darker than their parents. 



(b) Whether there is any change in other personal characteristics. 



(c) Whether dark-haired and other types differ in fertility. 



(d) Whether the English race as a whole, is becoming more dark- 

 haired or otherwise changed, as the outcome of two possibly opposing 

 tendencies, namely, of the most enduring type being the least prolific. 



(8) General appearance. The answer to this question, which would 

 include a statement as to weight at various ages, would usefully supple 

 ment the other evidences concerning race and development which have 

 been mentioned. A list of the best extant photographs or portraits 

 of the person at various ages, might be written out, and a selection 

 from them inserted on an interleaved page. 



(9) Bodily strength and energy, if much above or below the average. 

 Facts by which these may be illustrated are very much more to be 

 desired than general assertions. The statement that a person had won 

 prizes in such and such a competition, that he had accomplished such and 

 such feats of strength and endurance, that his daily occupation or amuse 

 ment consisted in so much walking, and the like, is a measurement of 

 ome exactitude and one that admits of verification. But merely to say 

 that a man is very strong and energetic, is an assertion that is too 

 deficient in definition, and is a mere opinion that others may not share. 

 Similarly as regards notable weakness. 



(ic) Keenness or imperfection of sight and other senses. These in 

 quiries refer to colour-blindness and to all those faults of sight in youth 

 which have to be remedied by spectacles ; they should be defined, and the 

 age when they were first observed, stated. They are hereditary and are 

 also much affected by nurture. Keenness of sensation in each of its 

 forms is a valuable natural gift, unfortunately no means are as yet easily 

 1 J. H. Baxter, Statistics Medical and Anthropological, Washington, 1875. 



