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Show 148 DR. WALTER KIDD ON PROPOSED ADDITIONS [Jail. 19, marks the obstacle, whatever it be, to the onward progress of the feathering. Thus can one explain the fact that on tlxe hairy coverings of a very large collection of animal forms various gradations are found, such as whorls alone, whorls and featherings alone, and whorls, featherings, and crests. It is a fact worth noting, wnatever the meaning of it may be, that the animal which most of all exhibits these phenomena, both as to variety and number, is Equus caballus. It may fairly be taken for- granted that many of these axrangements of hair are fully evolved, and that others, both in wild and domesticated forms, are in pi-ocess of development. It may be permitted here to use a geological term applied to a river-bed, and to say that the fox-mer have attained their " regimen " and that tlxe latter are on theix- way to that result. Evidence for most of these statements is to be found in three papers published in the ' Proceedings' on kindx-ed subjects*. Whorls, feathering's, and cx-ests are found irr ten different regions-the Premaxillary, Nasal, Frontal, Cervical, Spinal, Pectoral, Axillary, Inguinal, Gluteal, and Temporal. For the sake of brevity these are indicated in the following list as follows: PR. N. F. C. S. PE. A. I. G. T. Of these ten, T and G are x-are and of apparently little value to taxonomy. In addition to the primary ox- major whorls which ax-e held to be chax-acteristic of cex-tain gx-oups, some subordinate and common instances are given in the list; the former are indicated in ordinary, and the latter in italic type. No mammalian Order has been found possessing characteristic whorls, featherings, and cx-ests. Whox-ls characteristic of the following gx-oups are indicated by capitals as previously described :- PllOCYONlD^E. jEhtropus melanoleucus. N ... 1 CERVID.E. PE C. Genus Moschus. ,, Cervulus. „ Elaphodus. „ Cervus. „ Rangifer. ,, Aloes. ,, Cctpreolus. ,, Pudua. EQUIDJE. F C PE A IG. No exception to this cha- Equus caballus. 100 examined racteristic F has been found in addition to a very in any Equida? except tlxe large series observed. Domestic Ass, in which the E. asinus (domestic) 20 whorl is changed ixx position Mule 20 and lies over the nasal bones. * P. Z. S. 1900, p. 676 j 1902, vol. ii. p. U 5 ; 1903, vol. i. p. 79. |
