42b 



Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



Eyes 



The eyes show a rather wide range of variation. In colour they are always 

 brown, the dark shade predominating in both sexes. I received an impression 

 that little children always had dark eyes but am unable to verify it, as detailed 

 observations were confined to adults. It is worth calling attention to, however, 

 since Parry received the same impression at Iglulik in Hudson bay. 1 



COLOUR OF EYES 



Dark 

 Brown 



Light 

 Brown 



Brown 

 undefined 



Men, 82 cases 



Women, 42 eases . 



p.c. 

 55 



p.c. 

 44 

 26 



p.c. 

 1 

 5 



A secondary coloration of blue or grey, mainly around the fringe of the 

 iris but extending occasionally into the sclerotis, was noticed in 14 men and 2 

 women, all of whom, as the following table shows, were judged to be 35 years of 

 age and upwards. 



55- 

 years 



Men — 



Cases examined 



Cases with blue or grey fringe 

 Women — 



Cases examined 



Cases with blue or grey fringe 



The predominant colour of the eye in these cases was always brown, in three 

 of them a dark brown, in the other thirteen a lighter shade. In no instance 

 was there the slightest resemblance to the blue eyes of Europeans. With regard 

 to the distribution of the phenomenon, of the 16 natives in whom it was noticed 

 1 belonged to Prince Albert sound on Victoria island, 1 to the Victoria island 

 side and 2 to the mainland side of Dolphin and Union strait, 1 to the Victoria 

 island side and 11 to the mainland side of Coronation gulf. It is found therefore 

 throughout the whole of the area inhabited by the Copper Eskimos. In an earlier 

 paper 2 I have pointed out that it occurs in Alaska also and is almost certainly 

 pathological in origin, being in all probability the result of repeated attacks of ' 

 snow-blindness. 



The shape of the eye varies considerably. It often slants a little, though 

 seldom as much as in Mongols. The Mongolian fold is present in most cases 

 but not usually pronounced except in children. The slits are moderately 

 wide, and the eyelids partly concealed beneath the eyebrows. 



Nevertheless one often sees straight eyes without any folding of the upper lid 

 over the lower or its concealment beneath the eyebrow. In fact, here as among 

 other Eskimos, every variety of shape may be found from full Mongolian to 

 full European. These features are brought out in the following tables of per- 

 centages. 



!Parry, op. at., Vol. 4, p. 78. 



American Anthropologist, Vol. 23, No. 3, July-September, 1921, p. 259 f. Dr. Boas informs me that 

 this greyish ring around the iris is common among whites also, increasing in width with age, and that 

 it is purely pathological. 



