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A VERS. 



and it will be noticed that of the primary auricular tubercles 

 I, 2, 4, and 5 are especially prominent, as is usually the case 

 at this stage of growth. But tubercle 4 is somewhat more 

 prominent than ordinary. This is apparently not accidental, 

 but is part of the general enlargement along the axis c — d, the 

 original or ancestral long axis of the ear. Being in the third 

 month of development, this ear presents us with the initial steps 

 of the growth of the long axis of the ear, and of course it is 

 during this period of development that we should expect to 

 find ancestral traits best defined. 



A series of observations which I have been able to make on 

 the ears of 'very young children, for the purpose of locating 

 and noting the degree of reduction of the Darwinian point, 

 enabled me to study another character frequently associated 

 with the Darwinian point which I believe has hitherto escaped 

 notice. It is the presence of a tuft of relatively long hairs 

 upon the Darwinian point. 



This hair tuft seems to disappear later, as I have not 

 observed it on any adult ear, though no extended series of 

 adult ears has been sufficiently closely observed by me to 

 satisfactorily settle the point. 



Owing to the anthropological significance of this pencil or 

 tuft of hairs, I propose for it the name Darwinian tuft. It 

 is undoubtedly a remnant of the apical hair tuft commonly 

 developed in the mammalia which often reaches special size as 

 in the lynx. 



University of Missouri, 

 April 10, 1899. 



