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Show 1897.] 01 HAIR UPON THE HUMAN EAR. 303 curving round the infolded rim of the helix below Darwin's Point, directing their growth towards it until their tips meet and touch those of the hairs approaching from above (see Plates X I X . & X X . figs. 2, 3, 11, 13, and 19). The significance of this countermarch or reversal of direction it is proposed to discuss later in this paper. The opposing growths of hairs do not approach one another from directly opposite directions ; they cross one another's paths diagonally, as though seeking something wdiich was once there, but which no longer exists. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are well-marked cases. On many infant ears Darwin's Point is not sufficiently pronounced to enable its precise locality to be determined. its position varies much in m y experience, and the tract around it, or its presumed site, is very frequently bare, as already remarked. In short, the external infant ear is a very variable organ, but whenever hair is present it seems to follow the above-described lines, although it may be almost invisible and need a dark card to be placed between the ear and head aud the use of a lens to discover the hairs. I have observed a case where an infant's ear showed Darwin's Point well and the small white tubercle beneath the skin was marked by a minute tuft of down. The ear drawn in fig. 1 was so noticeable that the child's mother, a woman in humble circumstances, was struck by its appearance and sent for m e to see it. Where the two streams of hairs met the hairs were longest, a distinct tuft of hairs twisted upon one another came partly from behind the ear and partly from the fold of the helix and projected laterally at right angles to the median line of the body from one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch. The sptlna hellcis was thickly clothed with hairs pointing towards this tuft. The child was a fair-skinned infant with very dark brown hair. In but one case have I examined an ear completely at variance with this rule. It is upon a foetal head in spirit in the Oxford University Museum. No Darwin's Point is discernible and the growth of hair follows an unbroken sequence round the helix. This head however is abnormal in other respects, one cranium growing out of another, so that it is difficult to say what importance should be attached to it. M y observations of fcetal ears have so far been inconclusive. Of some the epidermis seems imperfectly developed and is hairless. In no case are very small hairs easily observed whilst the subject is immersed, and when removed from the spirit the lanugo clings to moist skin and it is difficult to determine the direction of its natural growth. The Darwin's Point was not well marked, or indeed determinable, upon most of the fcetal ears which I have examined; but no stress need be laid upon this, as this feature is very variable and frequently absent, as is well known. One fcetal ear was remarkable for having Darwin's Point directed backwards (the helix being unfolded as in Monkeys), and this point was tufted with small pale |