IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 45 



It is found that 6.5 per cent of all patterns are arches; 

 26 per cent are whorls; and 67.5 ^per cent are loops. A 

 combination of symbols or letters denoting the class of 

 pattern on each of the digits of an individual is called the 

 formula of his prints. The letters used are a, 1, w, for arch, 

 loop, and whorl; and u and r are used to indicate ulnar 

 and radial loops, particularly on the index fingers. A very 

 large number of such formulas is possible. Some of them 

 are much more frequent than others. 



Galton devotes a chapter to the question of heredity in 

 finger prints. He finds a "decided tendency to hereditary 

 transmission"; and his investigations point to a preponder- 

 ance of maternal over paternal influence. One method 

 pursued by him is to note the frequency of the occurence 

 of patterns of the same class upon the same finger of the 

 hands of parents and their children. 



By a process diifering somewhat from Galton's method, 

 I have found what seems a clear case of hereditary in- 

 fluence on finger patterns. The case is thal^ of the family 

 of Mr. and Mrs. A, as we will call them here. 



I have their finger prints and those of their eight living 

 children and thirty of their grandchildren, as well as of 

 the husbands and wives of the children, and of a few other 

 relatives. Mr. A has loops on all ten digits, all opening 

 to the ulnar side. His formula would be nil nil 11 11; 

 which by the way is one of the most common formulas to 

 be found. The patterns are small and very regular. Mrs. 

 A has seven whorls and three loops, all large patterns. 

 One son has nine loops and one whorl. The three other sons 

 and the four daughters all have the same formulas as the 

 father; or ihey have nothing but loops. Their patterns are 

 very regular, but generally larger than those of the father. 



One of the daughters, I, whose husband has 7 whorls and 

 3 loops, has five children who have altogether 12 whorls 

 and 38 loops; or 76 per cent of all their prints are loops. 

 One son, N, whose wife has 6 w^horls and four loops, has 

 eight children whose prints show 3 arches, 16 whorls and 

 61 loops, 76.25 per cent of their patterns are therefore 



