262 riSHBERG 



extremes there are found minor gradations which are not easily 

 separated, and one often remains in doubt as to the class with 

 which he is dealing. There also arises a problem concerning 

 the number of colors into which it is advisable to divide the 

 material. Some anthropologists distinguish as many as fifteen 

 colors of skin, hair or eyes ; while the late Dr. Virchow, in his 

 classical elaboration of the material on the color of skin, hair and 

 eyes of German school children, collected by the German anthro- 

 pological Society ^ distinguishes only two colors for the skin (fair 

 and dark), four for the hair (blond, brown, black, and red), and 

 three for the eyes (blue, gray, and brown). This classification 

 we have adopted, with only slight modifications ; ' we distinguish 

 six classes of hair coloration — black, brown, chestnut, light 

 chestnut, blond, and red. 



The distinction between fair and dark skin is not always readily 

 apparent, and in doubtful cases we have been guided by the 

 general impression gained by a careful inspection at a distance 

 from one to two meters from the individual. Only those whose 

 skin appeared brownish or swarthy were taken as dark, and 

 those having a yellowish or somewhat muddy tint were regarded 

 as fair. 



The hair was considered black when the darkness was very 

 deep, without a brownish tinge. Such hair usually has a luster 

 which by reflected light giv^es it a bluish appearance, but this 

 luster is not observable in black hair which is not kept scrupu- 

 lously clean by frequent brushing. 



Brown hair was considered to be that which, although fairly 

 dark, did not show a luster, or in reflected light, presented a 

 brownish tinge. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish this 

 color from black, particularly in hair the care of which has been 

 neglected. Quite often "brown" hair will appear decidedly 

 black when thoroughly cleaned and brushed. 



As chestnut we counted hair which by its coloration did not 

 appear positively brown but which was not fair enough to be 



1 " Gesmtbericht iiber die von der deutschen anthropologischen Gesellschaft ver- 

 anlassten Erhebungen iiber die Farbe der haut, der Haare und der Augen der Schul- 

 kinder in Deutschland," Archiv fiir Afithropoloj^ne, XVI, pp. 275-475. 



