Tartars. Perfians. Arabs. Africans on the coast of the Mediterranean. Chinese.

BROWNIsh. The inhabitants of the southern parts of Europe; as Sicilians, Abyssinians, Spaniards, Turks, and likewise the Samoiedes and Laplanders.

WHITE. Most of the European nations; as Swedes, Danes, English, Germans, Poles, &c. Kabardiniki, Georgians, Inhabitants of the islands in the Pacific Ocean.

In attempting to investigate the causes of these differences, our author observes, that there can be no dispute of the seat of colour being placed in the skin; that it is not even extended over the whole of this, but confined to that part named the cuticle, consisting of the epidermis and reticulum; and that it chiefly occupies the latter of these. The cuticle is much thicker and harder in black people than in white ones; the reticulum in the latter being a thin mucus, in the former a thick membrane. He concludes that this seat of colour in whites is transparent, and either totally deprived of vessels, or only furnished with very few; as the yellow colour appearing in jaundice vanishes on the cause of the disease being removed; which is not the case with stains in the cuticle from gunpowder, or similar causes. He next points out three causes destroying the pellicosity of the cuticle, giving it a brown colour, and rendering it thicker. These are, access of air, naushefs, and the heat of the sun. The influence of each of these he proves by many examples; and from these he is inclined to consider the last as by much the most powerful. If, however, it be admitted that these causes have this effect, he thinks that all the diversity of colour which is to be observed among mankind, may be thus accounted for. He remarks, that all the inhabitants of the torrid zone incline more or less to a black colour. When we observe the differences which occur amongst them, we must at the same time remember, that a black colour is not referred to heat alone, but to the other causes also; and when we attend to the diversity of temperature that occurs even in the torrid zone; the existence of a white nation there would by no means destroy the argument. He is farther of opinion, that the existence of a brown colour, and of considerable varieties from white, in the northern and coldest parts of Europe, may very easily be explained. This he accounts for from the manner of life of the inhabitants, by which they are either exposed to the inclemency of the air, or to constant naushefs from smoky houses.

Having thus attempted to account, from natural causes, for the varieties which occur among mankind with respect to colour, our author observes, that, to all this reasoning, an objection will naturally be made, from considering that infants bring these marks into the world along with them, before they can be exposed to any such causes. Dr Hunter imagines, however, that this may readily be explained upon the supposition that many peculiarities acquired by parents are transmitted to their posterity; and of this, he thinks, no one can entertain the least doubt who attends to hereditary diseases. Thus, gout, scrophula, mania, and many other affections, although at first induced by particular accidents, will continue to affect families for many generations. In the same manner, a parent exposed to causes destroying the natural whiteness of his complexion, will beget unhealthy children; and the same causes continuing to operate upon the son, the blackness will be increased. Thus all the different shades may have been at first induced, and afterwards continued.