Tongan data on skin color cannot be directly adjusted to my statistics. Sullivan's comment on their skin color states that it is "a medium yellowish-brown where it is unexposed to the sun. Exposed parts of the skin of a few of the persons were a very dark chocolate" (Sullivan, 1922, p. 248).
Among the Fijians themselves, the greatest contrasts occur between the eastern and the interior groups of Viti Levu. Where 63 per cent of the latter have dark-brown skin, only 5 per cent of eastern fall into this category. The bulk of eastern (83 per cent) have medium-brown skin as against 36 per cent of hill people. The coastal and northwestern provinces are, like the total series, more evenly divided between medium and dark brown.
Brunet Swarthy Lt. Brn Med. Brn Dk. Brn Black Total No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 6 1 9 1 242 30 545 66 11 1 0 0 813 Interior 0 0 0 0 20 13 133 87 0 0 0 0 153 East 3 3 4 3 77 64 36 30 0 0 0 0 120 Coast 1 1 2 1 56 27 148 71 2 1 0 0 209 N.W. 0 0 1 1 20 25 57 72 1 1 0 0 79 Fiji II 0 0 0 0 0 0 127 96 5 4 0 0 132 Solomons 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 11 74 87 2 2 85
Unexposed skin color was observed on the under surface of the upper arm near the armpit. The anticipated shift in color range results in a reduction of dark-skin incidence to a mere 1 per cent, and an increase in medium brown to 60 per cent and of light brown to 30 per cent.
Howells' describes 96 per cent of his Fijians as medium brown, 4 per cent dark brown, and none light brown. The Solomon Islanders seem definitely darker than the Fijians whether they are compared with Howells' or my series.
The eastern groups continues to contrast with the interior people. The former show a majority of 64 per cent in the light-brown category as compared with 13 per cent among the interior groups; the latter have a medium-brown incidence of 87 per cent against 30 per cent among Lauans.
Black Dk. Brn Med. Brn Lt. Brn Red-Brown Total No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 757 93 31 5 1 0 0 0 18 2 807 Interior 145 95 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 153 East 114 95 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 120 Coast 193 92 11 5 0 0 0 0 5 2 204 N.W. 70 89 5 6 0 0 0 0 4 5 75 Fiji II 118 91 9 7 0 0 0 0 3 2 130 Solomons 55 65 26 31 0 0 3 4 0 0 84 Tonga 0 94 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0