In the north of Europe there
can, of course, be no question concerning the predominant fairness of the
population, but in portions of the centre and especially in the south it
may be considered a question. It must, however, be remembered that the
white population occupying all the shores of the Mediterranean have the
black peoples of Africa immediately to the south of them. They have been
liable to come in contact with the black peoples and in contrast with them
they have tended not only to be more impressed with their own whiteness,
but to appraise still more highly its blondest manifestations as
representing a type the farthest removed from the negro. It must be added
that the northerner who comes into the south is apt to overestimate the
darkness of the southerner because of the extreme fairness of his own
people. The differences are, however, less extreme than we are apt to
suppose; there are more dark people in the north than we commonly assume,
and more fair people in the south. Thus, if we take Italy, we find in its
fairest part, Venetia, according to Raseri, that there are 8 per cent.
communes in which fair hair predominates, 81 per cent. in which brown
predominates, and only 11 per cent.
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