MAN. 



Albino. \Ve have already slated that the 

 white rabbit and ferret, characterised by 

 the snowy colour of their hair and red- 

 ness of the eye, seem to have originated 

 from a morbid disposition transmitted by 

 the way of generation, divested in course 

 of time of all character of disease, and 

 established into a permanent variety. 

 The same affection occurs in the humuii 

 race, but in few and scattered instances, 

 and the persons thus distinguished are 

 named albinos. There are two peculiar 

 circumstances in these individuals. The 

 skin has an unnatural whiteness, often 

 seeming- to approach to a slight degree of 

 lepra ; and the hair of all parts of the 

 body has the same character. The latter 

 lias not the snowy whi'.eness of old age, 

 nor the elegant light yellow or flaxen ap- 

 pearance of the fair-haired in our cli- 

 mates, but is rather to be compared to 

 the appearance of cream : neither is the 

 colour of the skin like that of the Euro- 

 pean, but approaching to that of milk, or 

 of a white horse. The eye is deprived of 

 its colouring mutter; and hence the ins 

 is of a pale rose colour, and the pupil in- 

 tensely red, in consequence of the blood 

 contained in the numerous vessels, which, 

 almost entirely make up the substance of 

 those parts. Thus there is a general 

 deficiency of colouring matter ; as well 

 of that of the skin and hair, as of the eye. 

 These affections of the skin and eye are 

 always concomitant. There is generally 

 also a weakness of the latter organ, in 

 consequence of which a strong light can- 

 not be borne. Hence they are describ- 

 ed in Java and the isthmus of Darien as 

 going about chiefly by night, when they 

 see best. This peculiarity always exists 

 from the time of birth ; it never changes 

 afterwards, and it is sometimes heredi- 

 tary 



It was observed first in the African, as 

 the great difference of colour would ren- 

 der the variation more striking ; and hence 

 the individuals were termed Leucaethiopes, 

 or White Negroes. From their avoiding 

 the light the Dutch gave them the con- 

 temptuous name of Kackerlacken (insects 

 shunning the light) : the Spaniards called 

 them Albinos, and the French Blafards. 

 So far, however, is this variety from be- 

 ing peculiar to the Negro, or even to the 

 torrid zone, that there is no race of men, 

 nor any part of the globe, in which it may 

 not occur. Blumenbach has observed 

 sixteen instances in Germany ; and refers 

 to various authors who have seen it in 

 most parts of the world. (De Gen. Hum. 



Variet. sect. 3, . 78). It happens hi 

 many of the class mammalia and birds. 



National features. Although it is a 

 common and very just observation, that 

 two individuals are hardly to be met with 

 possessing exactly the same features, yet 

 there is generally a certain cast of counte- 

 nance common to the particular races of 

 men, and often to the inhabitants of par- 

 ticular countries. The national varieties 

 of countenance may be reduced to the five 

 following : 



1. An oval and straight face, with the 

 different parts moderately distinguished 

 from each other; forehead rather flatten- 

 ed ; nose narrow, and slightly aquiline ; 

 no prominence of the cheek-bones ; small 

 mouth, with lips slightly turned out, par- 

 ticularly the lower one ; a full and round- 

 ed chin. This is the kind of countenance 

 which accords most with our ideas of 

 beauty. It may be considered as a mid- 

 dle, departing into two extremes, exactly 

 opposed to each other ; of which one con- 

 sists in a lateral expansion of the face; 

 and the other in its being extended down- 

 wards. Each of these includes two varie- 

 ties, which are most readily distinguished 

 by a profile view : one, in which the nose 

 and other parts run together, and the 

 other, in which they are more prominent 

 and separate. 



2. Broad and flattened face, with little 

 distinction of parts ; broad space between 

 the eyes ; flat nose ; rounded cheeks, pro. 

 jecting externally; narrow and linear 

 aperture of the eye-lids ; slight projection 

 of the chin. This is the face of the Mon- 

 golian tribes, commonly, but erroneously, 

 called the Tartar face. 



3. Broad face and prominent cheek- 

 bones, with the parts projecting more in 

 a profile view ; short forehead ; the eyes 

 more deeply seated ; the nose rather flat- 

 tened, but prominent. Such is the coun- 

 tenance of most of the Americans. 



4. Narrow face, projecting towards its 

 lower part ; arched forehead ; projecting 

 eyes ; a thick nose, confused on either 

 side with the cheeks ; the lips, particular- 

 ly the upper one, very thick ; the jaws 

 prominent ; and the chin retracted. This 

 is the Negro countenance. 



5. The face not so narrow as in the 

 preceding; rather projecting downwards, 

 with the different parts more distinct; 

 the nose rather full and broad, particu- 

 larly towards its end ; the mouth large. 

 This belongs to the Malay race, and par- 

 ticularly to the inhabitants of the South 

 Sea islands. 



