CORRESPONDENCE. 



A PORTUGUESE PARALLEL TO NEOMYLODOX LISTAL 



If a mouse may help a lion, may I venture to draw attention to the rather 

 striking parallelism which exists between the discovery of such fresh remains 

 of Neomylodon in the dust of a large cavern near Lost Hope Inlet, and Dr. 

 Gadow's find of several skeletons of the Norway Lemming {Lemmus lemmus) 

 near Athouguia in Portugal. 



Through the kindness of Dr. Gadow I was permitted to announce the dis- 

 covery at the meeting of the Zoological Society of March 3, 1896 (see P. Z. S., 

 March 6, 1896, pp. 304-306). The circumstances of the case are quite close 

 to those attending the discovery of Neomylodon. In both cases the bones were 

 discovered buried under the dust of a cave, in both cases they were surprisingly 

 fresh (the Lemming remains were quite recent, having the skin and the liga- 

 ments attached to them), and in both cases the remains found are those of an 

 animal believed to have been long since extinct in the country where they 

 were found. 



The present range of the Norway Lemming does not extend south of about 

 58° 30' north latitude, while even in Pleistocene times it had been previously 

 unknown from any localities south of England, yet its remains as found in 

 Portugal had the appearance of having belonged to quite recently dead animals. 



It would seem then that even in countries where the climate is damp, or 

 certainly not dry, it is possible that, given the aid of a sheltering cave, and of 

 abundance of dry dust, the remains of mammals, both small and large, may be 

 preserved in quite a fresh state for long periods. 



G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton. 



KlLMANOCK, AllTHURSTOWN, 



Ireland. 



BIOLOGICAL ANALOGY AND SPEECH-DEVELOPMENT. 



As language (speech) is entirely a human invention — just as chess and 

 piano-playing are — the science of language is not entitled to be classed as 

 a natural science ; so it is with much diffidence that I write to you on the 

 subject. But as you published Mr. Henry Cecil Wyld's paper on " Biological 

 Analogy and Speech-development " in your January (1899) Number, may I 

 venture to point out to Mr. Wyld that in his criticism of the fallacy of 

 Professor Paul's reasoning he might possibly mislead as many readers as 

 Professor Paul has. 



Mr. Wyld says (p. 48) that " the safest way to think of language is as a 

 habit of body expressing a habit of mind." 



The question naturally arises, " Is this a safe way to think of any human 

 invention 1 " 



462 



