The Republican., 1890-08-01
BAD NEWS FOR BLONDES.
Reasons for Thinking That Fair Hair Il
Becoming Extinct.

Reasons for Thinking That Fair Hair Is
Becoming Extinct.
In forming opinions as to whether fair
haired persons are less numerous in
particular locality now than formerly,
the element of age has to be considered.
A person who has spent his childhood
in a fair-haired district, and visits it
again after lapse of years, may easily
imagine that the number of fair-haired
persons is fewer than formerly, merely
on account of the class of persons from
whom he draws the inference being
more adult than those of whom he has
recollections formerly.
From the rate at which hair darkens
from childhood to adult age we have
some valuable observations, which show
that the hair of light-complexione1
male children darkens from 55 per cent.
during the first five years of life to 33
per cent. at 45 years, and dark hair with
light eyes is found to increase in about
the same ratio. Darkening of the
female hair and eyes with age takes
place to much less extent than among
males. 1t would appear, therefore, that
in estimating the increase or diminution
of fair-haired persons in particular
district observations on females are
much more trustworthy than on males,
from the fact that they are much less
liable to variations; but on the other
hand, it must be remembered that the
color of woman's hair is more liable to
alter according to the tint which is con-
sidered the most fashionable at a par
ticular time.
Besides the blending of fair-haired
races with the dark stocks, there are
other elements which Dr. Beddoe has
shown may account for the diminution
of fair hair in England, and these should
not be overlooked. He considers that
the xanthous temperament is less able
to withstand the unsanitary conditions
existing in the crowded populations of
our great cities than the melanotic, and
that in this way the law of natural
selection operates against its increase.
Again, as a large majority of women
live and die unmarried and childless, it
is probable, in his opinion, that the
physical qualities Of the race may be to
small extent nodded by the action of
conjugal as we'll as natural selection.
In support of this he has given statistics
showing that of 737 women only 55.5
per cent. of those with fair hair were
married, against 10 per cent with black
hair, while 81 per cent. with fair hair
were unmarried, against is per cent
with black. On classifying those with
red, fair, and brown hair as blonde"
and those with dark brown and black
hair as dark" we have 359 of the
former and 3G1 of the latter. OF the
blondes he found 60 per cent. were mar
ried to 7O.5 of the dark, and 32 per cent.
of the former were unmarried to 21.5 of
the latter.
If during several generations this
preference among the male sex for
wives with dark hair should continue, it
is reasonable to suppose it would exert
an influence decidedly adverse to the
increase of fair-haired persons being
maintained. On various grounds, there
fore, it would seem as if the fair hair
so much beloved by poets and artists is
doomed to be encroached upon and even
replaced by that of darker hue. The
rate at which this is taking place is
probably slow, from the fact that nature
is most conservative in her changes
British Medical journal. .