70 



The Journal of Heredity 



members of the family are indicated. B 

 1 he hereditary defect did not seem to 

 tall m line with the usual laws of in- 

 heritance; however, sufficient evidence 

 was not available for a definite con- 

 clusion. 



, Aside from the transmissibility it is 

 interesting to note that the size of the 

 openings varies to a certain extent 

 with the age of the individual. Figures 

 14 and 15 are skiagraphs of the skulls of 

 the younger members of the Catlin fam- 

 ily. It wil be noted that in each case 

 the two holes are so large that they are m 

 continuous save for a median cartilagi- 

 nous septum which is not clearly dif- 

 ferentiated by the X-ray. In most cases 

 t IS claimed that the original single 

 large elongated opening of the young 

 IS later developed into two more or 

 less circular ones by the ossification in 

 the median region. For example, 

 Ruth, whose "mark" is shown in C 

 claims that in childhood there was 

 only a single elongated opening in her 

 skull, as IS the case with one of her 

 younger sisters whose "mark" is shown 

 in l^ig. 15. The suture lines between 

 the two holes in the skull shown in C 

 umte with the sagittal suture in such a 

 way as to suggest that the median 

 bridge IS formed by a simultaneous up- 

 ward ossification of the lower median 

 side of the elongated opening and a 

 downward ossification of the upper 

 median region. This gives four centers 

 ot ossification, an upward growth from 

 the median edge of each parietal and 

 two similar downward ossifications In 

 many cases an elongated concavity 

 remains in the median septum as 

 shown in D, Fig. 12. Although thl 

 post natal ossification is marked in 

 some individuals the septum between 

 the openmgs does not form at any par- 

 ticular age. Some children were found 

 who possessed openings in the skull as 

 large as a twenty-five cent coin. This 

 tact might help to explain why the 

 transmission of the defect appears to 



tharth:''"''"^' '' " quite'^possible 

 that the mark" appears in many 

 individuals not so indicated on the 

 cnart. In one particular case, a 

 mother contended that her small son 



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