Note 468 — Chapter XX

‘Investigations into Military and Anthropological Statistics of American Soldiers,’ by B. A. Gould, 1869; p. 568:—Observations were carefully made on the pilosity of 2129 black and coloured soldiers, whilst they were bathing; and by looking to the published table, “it is manifest at a glance that there is but little, if any, difference between the white and the black races in this respect.” It is, however, certain that negroes in their native and much hotter land of Africa, have remarkably smooth bodies. It should be particularly observed, that pure blacks and mulattoes were included in the above enumeration; and this is an unfortunate circumstance, as in accordance with the principle, the truth of which I have elsewhere proved, crossed races would be eminently liable to revert to the primordial hairy character of their early ape-like progenitors.