MAN. 
I)air, The common sheep in warm climates 
is covered with hair instead of wool. That 
the mode of life will influence the hair is 
very certain ; the wild pig has a soft curl- 
ing hair interposed between its bristles, 
which in the domesticated animal is entirely 
lost. The influence of various causes, w hich 
iViay be comprehended under the gene- 
ral term of cultivation, is very striking in 
the sheep and goat ; the great difference in 
the w ool produced from the former, under 
various circumstances, is well known ; and 
a person, who was acquainted with the co- 
vering of the goat in European climates, 
would hardly believe it possible that the 
material from which the precious shawls of 
Cashmere are manufactured, could be pro- 
duced from the same animal. 
Colour of the iris. It has long been ob- 
served that the colour of the eyes depends 
on that of the skin ; and tliat these organs 
are blue or light in fair, and dark in black 
persons. Hence, newly born children, in 
these climates, have q;enerally bluish eyes 
and light hair ; and the colour of both 
changes together at a subsequent period in 
the individuals who are of a dark com- 
plexion. And in the same way, when the 
hair loses its colour in old age, the pigment 
of the eye becomes lighter, This connec- 
tion is still more strongly evinced in spotted 
animals ; and is particularly clear in the rab- 
bit. The native and wild grey kind has a 
brown iris i the black and white variety has 
it spotted : and the perfectly w'hite has it red, 
from the entire absence of colouring matter. 
Tliere are three principal vaiieties of 
colour in the iris : first, blue ; secondly, 
grey; thirdly, brown, tending to black. 
These may all occur in different individuals 
of the same race; and again, they are some- 
times confined to the different tribes of the 
same country, within the boundaries of a 
few degrees. Thus Linnmus describes, in 
Sweden, the Gothlander with w'hite hair 
and greyish blue eyes ; the Finlander, with 
red hair and brown iris ; and the Laplan- 
der, with black hair and iris. The ancient 
Germans were distingiiished by their blue 
eyes, as well as red or rather yellow hair 
(caerulei oculi, rufilm com®, Tacitus). The 
iris of the Negro is the most intensely black, 
so that in living individuals it can be dis- 
tinguished from the pupil only by very close 
inspection. 
The Albino. We shall introduce in this 
place our observations on that singular 
variety of the human race termed the 
Albino. We have already stated that the 
white rabbit and ferret, characteri*ed by 
the snowy colour of their hair and redness 
of the eye, seem to have originated from 
a morbid disposition transmitted by the 
way of generation, divested in course of 
time of all character of disease, and esta- 
blished into a permanent variety. Tfse 
same affection occurs in the human race, 
but in few and scattered instances, and tfie 
persons thus distinguished are named albi- 
nos. There are tw’o peculiar circumstances 
in these individuals. The skin has an nn- 
natnral whiteness, often seeming to ap- 
proach to a slight degree of lepra ; and the 
hair of all parts of the body has the same 
character. The latter has not the snowy 
whiteness of old age, nor the elegant light 
yellow or flaxen appearance of the fair- 
haired in our climates, but is rather to be 
compared to the appearance of cream : 
neither is the colour of the skin like that of 
the European, but approaching to that of 
milk, or of a white horse. Tlie eye is de- 
prived of its colouring matter ; and hence 
the iris is of a pale rose colour, and the 
pupil intensely red, in consequence of the 
blood contained in the tjumerofis vessels, 
which almos); entirely make up the substance 
of those parts. Thus, there is a general 
deficiency of colouring matter ; as well as of 
tliat of the skin and hair, as of the eye. 
These aflections of the skin and eye are 
always concomitant. There is generally 
also a weakness of the latter organ, in con- 
sequence of which a strong light cannot be 
borne. Hence they are described in Java 
and the isthmus of Darien as going about 
chiefly by night, when they see best. This 
peculiarity always exists from the time of 
birth ; it never changes afterwards, and it 
is sometimes hereditary. 
It was observed first in the Afi ican, as 
the great diflerence of colour would render 
the variation more str iking ; and hence the 
individuals were termed Leuemthiopes, or 
White Negroes. From their avoiding the 
light the Dutch gave them the contemptu- 
ous name of Kackerlacken (insects sluin- 
iiing the light) ; the Spaniards called them 
Albinos, and the French Blafards. So far, 
however, is this variety from being peculiar 
to the Negro, or even to the torrid zone, 
that there is no race of men, nor any part 
of the globe, in which it may not occur. 
Blumenbach has observed sixteen instances 
in Germany ; and refers to various authors 
who have seen it in most parts of the world 
(De Gen. Hum. Variet. sect. 3, §. 78). It 
happens in many of the class mammalia and 
birds. 
National features, Altliongli it is a com 
