2 26 WAKE: ANTHROPOLOGY OF YORKSHIRE. 



approach more nearly to red than to brown, yellow or flaxen ; Class F 

 (fair) includes flaxen, yellow, and golden, with some of the light shades 

 of brown, and of the pale auburns ; Class B includes numerous 

 shades of brown ; Class D the remaining shades of brown up to 

 Class N (niger), 'which includes not only the jet black, which has 

 retained the same colour from childhood, and is generally very coarse 

 and hard, but also that very intense brown which occurs in people 

 who in childhood have had dark brown (or in some cases deep red) 

 hair, but which in the adult cannot be distinguished from coal-black, 

 except in a very good light.' 



The possession of a scale of colour is indispensable, but it is 

 hardly less important to know how best to make the desired obser- 

 vations. On this point it will be well to let Dr. Beddoe speak for 

 himself. He says : ' When engaged on this work I set down in his 

 proper place on my card of observations every person (with the ex- 

 ceptions to be mentioned presently) whom I meet, or who passes me 

 within a short distance, say from one to three yards. As a rule, I take 

 no note of persons who apparently belong to the upper classes, as 

 these are more migratory, and more often mixed in blood. I neglect 

 those whom I suppose to be under age — fixing the point roughly at 

 1 8 or 20 for men, 17 or 18 for women — as well as all those whose 

 hair has begun to grizzle. Thus I get a fairly uniform material to 

 work upon, though doubtless the hair of most people does darken 

 considerably between 20 and 40 or 50. In order to preserve perfect 

 fairness, I always examine first, out of any group of persons, the one 

 who is nearest, rather than the one to whom my attention is most 

 drawn. Certain colours of the hair — such as red— certain shades of 

 the eye — such as light gray — can be discerned at a very considerable 

 distance ; but I take no note of anyone who does not approach me 

 so nearly that I cannot recognise the more obscure colours. Much 

 allowance needs to be made for the varying effects of light. Direct 

 sunlight is better avoided when possible ; I always choose the shady 

 side of a street on a sunny day.' 



The colours of the hair and eyes were not the only data collected 

 by Dr. Beddoe for the purpose of ascertaining the types to which the 

 races of Britain are referable. He found that little was known as to 

 the form and size of the skull of the modern Briton, and it was 

 necessary to make his own observations, which he did by measuring 

 a considerable number of living heads. In order to avoid fatiguing 

 or irritating the subjects, Dr. Beddoe restricted himself to the use of 

 the index callipers and graduated tape. A description of the kind of 

 measurements taken by him need not be given here, but an anecdote 

 may be related to show how head-measurements may sometimes be 



Naturalist, 



