9 
fore most desirable that information as to the colour of skin, 
hair, and eyes should be collected in a systematic manner, by 
comparing those of every individual observed with the standard 
tables formed by M. Broca, and reproduced in this manual by 
his kind permission and assistance. 
M. Broca divides the fundamental colours of the iris into 4, 
viz. blue, green, grey (dull violet), and orange, and each of these 
as’ain into 5 tones or shades, making 20 in all. Eyes called 
black may, in his opinion, correspond with the darkest shade of 
any of the four—most often they are of the darkest orange (1). 
Hazel eyes belong to the orange series (2, 3, 4). Brown is a 
term applied also, according to M. Broca, to eyes of the orange 
series; probably most people would give it to the darker shades 
of green and violet-grey (7 and 17). Where the colour appears 
to be intermediate between two of the standards, set down both 
numbers, e. g. a lightish blue-green eye would be noted as 9-14. 
The colour of the whole iris is hardly ever uniform; where the 
inner circle differs very markedly from the peripheral one, the 
appropriate numbers for both may be set down. But in general 
the e}^e should be viewed at such a distance that minor varia¬ 
tions may blend into one general hue. 
The patches in the Tables denoting the colour of skin and 
hair respectively have not been separated, many of them being 
common to the two. The colours of hair are not so simple 
and flat as those of skin, and therefore are more difficult of 
determination by the Table. They are better appreciated in 
moderate shadow than in bright sunshine. Where the colour 
of the beard differs notably from that of the head-hair, it should 
be noted. 
The skin usually differs much in colour where freely exposed 
to sun and air and where habitually protected by clothing. 
Observations should be made in double sets accordingly. Of 
the hair, the locks or strata least altered by sun and weather 
should be chosen for record. 
The colour of the eye varies little with the advance of age 
after infancy; that of the hair, in many races, a great deal. In 
some Englishmen the latter continues to darken slightly np to 
middle age. It is best as a general rule to restrict observations 
on the hair to adults. A separate series of observations on the 
colour of the eyes, hair, and skin of new-born infants would, 
however, be very valuable. 
1. Does the colour change much at different ages in regard 
