224 



A^A TURE 



[December 24, ic 



and more fertile classes. The divergence in colour 

 traits noticed in Glasgow is in part due to the presence 

 of a considerable non-Scottish element. 



Dark traits seem to be associated with imbecility, 

 blindness, and deafness, because these defects are 

 significantly more frequent in Gaelic-speaking districts 

 than in Scotland as a whole. This is perhaps e.\- 

 plained, as the author suggests, by the greater emigra- 

 tion of the fittest members of the community from 

 the west than from the rest of the country. The 

 author distinguishes five racial types : — The Scandina- 

 vian or Germanic type, with fair hair and blue eyes ; 

 the dark European type, with dark hair and dark 

 eyes, which he subdivides into Mediterranean and 

 Danish ; the Scoto-Keltic type, with dark hair and 

 blue eyes ; the essentially Scotch type, with medium 

 hair and eyes; and the Caledonian type, with red hair. 

 The Scoto-Keltic, Scotch, and Caledonian types are 

 probably crosses, while the Danish type may probably 

 on further investigation be shown to have affinities 

 to the Alpine race. 



After showing that the pigmentation in Scotland 

 is intermediate between that of northern and southern 

 Europe, Tocher adds that even in southern Germany 

 the hair is lighter than in Scotland. This will seem 

 inconceivable to those who have worked in the two 

 countries, while the figures quoted in support of this 

 statement suggest the existence of some misconcep- 

 tion of the limits of the terms fair and dark as used 

 bv different observers. The author has compared his 

 results with those of Fiirst in Sweden and .Ammon 

 in Baden, using the headings Fair, Red, Medium, and 

 Dark as equivalent to Blond, Roth, Braun, and 

 Schwarz, regarding Medium as Braun. The Con- 

 tinental use of the term Schwarz is practically 

 identical with Black as used by Beddoe, who differs 

 from Tocher in including therein the very darkest 

 browns, onlv recognisable as browns in a very good 

 light. This in a large measure accounts for the low 

 proportion of dark hair attributed to Sweden. A 

 further difficulty has arisen in comparing the Swedish 

 Blond with the Scotch Fair. The " Blond " class was 

 constructed by Fiirst out of a combination of two 

 others, " Gelb " and "Cendr<5." While the lighter 

 members of the latter class might be included in the 

 Fair division of Tocher, the darker members over- 

 step the upper limits of his Medium division. Fiirst, 

 in his monograph on Swedish hair and eye colour, con- 

 trasting his results w-ith those obtained bv Soren 

 Hansen and Westergaard fron Danish children, com- 

 pares his Braun class with the Dunkel class of the 

 latter authors, and his Blond with their Hell and 

 Mittel classes combined. Soren Hansen's divisions, 

 Roth, Hell, Mittel, Dunkel, and Schwarz, are prac- 

 tically identical with those of Tocher. 



When Blond— that is, Gelb + Cendr^ or Hell + Mittel 

 — is regarded as equivalent to Fair, Braun to Medium, 

 and Schwarz to Darl^+ Black, the Scottish results 

 naturally show a different distribution from that 

 obtaining in the rest of Europe. 



The real comparative tables give the percentage 

 distribution of hair colours as : — 



Swede 

 (adult ma 

 Gelb ... 

 Cendre... 

 Braun ... 

 Schwarz . 

 Roth 



23'3 



52-0 



2 1 '6 



0-8 



2-3 



r)enmark 

 (childre 



Hell ... 



Mittel ... 



Dunkel... 



Schwarz . 

 I Roth .. 



41 -8 

 40-9 

 130 



Scotlan, 

 (boys) 

 Fair 



Medium . 

 Dark ... 

 Tet-black. 

 Red ... 



Baden 

 (.adull males) 

 Blond ... 4i'6 

 Braun .. 387 

 Schwarz. iS'O 

 Roth ... 17 



The distribution in Scotland, then, agrees with that 

 of Europe, and falls into position between Sweden 

 and south Germany. The fact that the data cannot 

 be directly compared points out the urgent need for 



NO. 2043, VOL. 79] 



an international nomenclature, or at least for inter- 

 national standards and authorised translations. 



One of the most interesting features of the present 

 survey is that it tends to show that the population 

 of Scotland might have been derived from original 

 blond and brunet elements in appro.\imately equal 

 proportions which are gradually blending to form 

 a distinctive Scottish type. 



Further details and correlations are promised by 

 the author for some subsequent publication, and will 

 be anxiously awaited, since, for completeness of detail 

 and thoroughness of statistical investigation, the 

 present meinoir is unequalled. It is to be hoped now 

 that the chance exists that the results of a similar 

 survey mav in time be available for England and 

 Wales. 



THE NEW WIRELESS TELEGRAPH 

 STATION. 



AS mentioned in our notes columns of Deceinber 17, 

 the new wireless telegraph station at Bolt Head, 

 South Devon, was opened by the Postmaster-General 

 on December 11. This station is the first belonging 

 to the Post Office to be opened for a regular service of 

 communication witli ships at sea, and has telegraphic 

 connection with E.xeter, through which town all 

 messages will be transmitted. In accordance with 

 the provision of the International Radio-telegraphic 

 Convention of 1906, the station will establish public 

 coininunication with all vessels carrying wireless 

 telegraphic apparatus irrespective of the system of 

 wireless telegraphy which they may have installed. 

 The range of the station is 250 miles, though it is not 

 anticipated that the general working range required 

 will exceed about 100 miles. The cost of communica- 

 tion is expected to average about 8d. per word, made 

 up of a shore charge of 3Ad. and a ship charge of 

 t\d., and the tisual Ad. per word for the ordinary land 

 rate. 



The station is fitted with apparatus on the Marconi 

 system. The aerial, which is 160 feet high, consists 

 of two central conductors and four arms radiating to 

 sinall poles placed around the main mast, thus being 

 of what is now known as the " Umbrella " type. 

 Power is obtained from a 3-kw. alternator supply- 

 ing current at 100 volts 50 cycles, which is trans- 

 formed up to 15,000 to 20,000 volts. The alternator 

 is coupled to a direct-current machine, which can be 

 run either as a motor, or as a generator driven by an 

 8-h.p. oil engine when it is required to charge the 

 cells, in which case current can at the same time be 

 taken from the alternator. The battery is also used 

 for the lighting of the building. The signalling is 

 effected by a key in the generator circuit which con- 

 trols a magnetic key which only allows the alternator 

 circuit to be open when the current is at zero, as is now 

 usual with wireless telegraphic work where the power 

 is supplied by an alternator in order to avoid sparking 

 at the contacts of the signalling key. The sparking 

 gap is of the standard Marconi type, and can be 

 varied in length from 2 mm. to 8 mm. ; it is com- 

 pletely enclosed in order to deaden the noise of the 

 sparking. 



The receiving apparatus consists of a Marconi 

 magnetic receiver, which gives telephonic signals in 

 the usual way, and a coherer circuit for calling up, 

 which is disconnected when receiving signals on the 

 magnetic receiver. The coherer circuit can also be 

 used in connection with a Morse inker to record 

 messages when the operator is not present. 



The normal wave-length is 600 metres, but this can 

 be varied, and apparatus is provided to enable the 



