schmucker] A NEGLECTED SIDE OF NATURE-STUDY 51 



and are usually slender. They have black hair, black, often very 

 "snappy" eyes and have olive touches to the complexion. The 

 head is "long," its width being typically less than seventy-five per 

 cent of its length. In this respect is is like the Nordic. But the 

 front view does not show the "hatchet" face, but has the inverted 

 egg form so common in the Italian Madonnas painted by Raphael. 

 This group is at its purest in the lower part of each of the three 

 Southern Peninsulas of Europe. But it is not confined to this 

 region. It has spread into Austria and Rumania, and particularly 

 into France and the British Isles. Here it is much mixed with 

 Alpine and Nordic, but can still be frequently distinguished 

 especially in the Welsh, less so in the Irish. 



In our country it shows short stature and slight build, black eyes 

 and black hair, in almost any region. It of course is best seen in 

 the Italians and the Greeks who sell us our fruit and our candies. 



My own method in this study is to pick out of the class the best 

 representative of each of the three elements. In each case I tell 

 what alteration would be needed in this person to furnish a perfect 

 type. Sometimes I take two people, and say "Take this and this 

 from the one and this and this from the other and you have the 

 type." Then I take a few examples from the class and describe 

 each, one may be Nordic with a touch of Alpine; another half 

 Nordic and half Alpine; another Mediterranean with a touch of 

 Alpine; occasionally, especially amongst the Irish we find one, 

 half Nordic and half Mediterranean. Then I get each student to 

 study himself. 



I am very careful not to show any preference between the types. 

 Indeed I think I have none. The adventurous Nordic, the per- 

 severing Alpine, the vivacious Mediterranean, each has qualities 

 we may well desire in ourselves and in our children. 



Of course this study has little of interest for very young children, 

 but as soon as they begin to take up the Geography of Europe, this 

 feature of pupil study is distinctly interesting and helpful. 



I am teaching teachers. I find them tremendously interested in 

 this analysis of themselves. It remains for them to adapt it to 

 their own purposes in their own schools, where I hope and believe 

 it will come to be equally interesting. 



