COLOUR OF THE SKIN 233 



Their bodily and mental peculiarities certainly suggest, 

 whether the suggestion can be verified or not, the former 

 existence in the tropical regions of Africa and Asia of a 

 widely spread pygmy race of uniform character, a race 

 which has been, to a large extent, destroyed by other 

 races of larger and more powerful individuals, but has 

 also in many regions (especially on the Asiatic Continent) 

 intermarried with the surrounding larger people, and 

 given rise to hybrid races. At the same time, it seems 

 that in other regions this race has, by isolation in forests 

 and mountain ranges and by the exercise of special skill 

 in the use of poisoned arro\vs and in the arts of conceal- 

 ment, evasion, and terrorising, succeeded in maintaining its 

 existence and primitive independence dating from remote 

 prehistoric times. 



Whether we regard the pygmies as one race or as the 

 result of local modification of larger races, it is noteworthy 

 that they are of lighter tint than the black races close to 

 or among whom they live. Some, both of the African 

 and Asiatic pygmies, are very dark brown practically 

 black -but many are of a paler and yellowish tint. We 

 must not forget that the babies and quite young children 

 of negroes are nearly " white." The Asiatic pygmies, 

 notably the Andamanese, are darker than their African 

 fellows. It must necessarily be difficult in studying such 

 a race to make due allowance not merely for admixture 

 of blood from surrounding populations, but to estimate 

 correctly what the little people have learnt in the way of 

 art and habit from their neighbours arid what is their own. 

 The Andaman Islanders, though provided with metal by 

 trading, still use the sharp-edged splinters of volcanic 

 glass-stone to shave their heads, which they keep entirely 

 bald ! 



It is one of the merits of the showman's enterprise in 

 modern times that he brings to a great city like London 



