i64 SOLDIER AND SPORTSMAN 



by far the most important factor in human develop- 

 ment the difficulties of the investigation would be 

 almost insurmountable. Among animals, the case 

 of Eclipse and Persimmon is, as far as I am aware, 

 unique, though records of the breeding of some of 

 the Brocklesby hounds can be authenticated for 

 as far back as 1 746 ; greyhounds will soon have 

 pedigrees that will be almost as valuable to our 

 descendants ; and John Millais, son of the famous 

 artist, collected some very valuable facts on the 

 breeding of dogs before his death. But parallel 

 companions such as those reproduced in these 

 pages have never been properly studied, and it 

 may fervently be hoped that they will lead to 

 results more valuable and permanent than I can as 

 yet produce from them. 



" Few would be likely to imagine my first difficulty, 

 for it is at once too simple to believe, and too 

 fundamental to neglect. It is this. No accurate 

 system for the scientific measurement of bones has 

 yet been devised, and I shall be forgiven for ex- 

 pressing my confidence that this extraordinary 

 hiatus in research has only to be mentioned to be 

 promptly filled. A bone has an irregular though 

 a beautiful and intelligible outline. In the case of 

 a horse's fore and hind legs, with which we are at 

 present chiefly concerned, some bones have pro- 

 jections at one end and depressions at the other. 



