44: PRINCIPLES OF STOCK-BREEDING. 



moving his fingers parallel to each other, and, when 

 much excited, of raising both hands, with the fingers 

 still moving, to the sides of his face on a level with the 

 eyes ; this boy, when almost an old man, could hardly 

 resist this trick when much pleased, but, from its ab- 

 surdity, concealed it. He had eight children. Of 

 these a girl, when pleased, at the age of four and a 

 half years moved her fingers exactly in the same way, 

 and, what is still odder, when much excited she raised 

 both her hands, with her fingers still moving, to the 

 sides of her face, in exactly the same manner as her 

 father had done, and sometimes still continued to do 

 when alone." * 



The handwriting of members of the same family 

 is said to frequently present a marked resemblance ; 

 " and it has been asserted that English boys, when 

 taught to write in France, naturally cling to their 

 English manner of writing." a 



" There are families in which the special use of 

 the left hand is hereditary. Girou mentions a family 

 in which the father, the children, and most of the 

 grandchildren, were left-handed. One of the latter 

 betrayed its left-handedness from earliest infancy, nor 

 could it be broken of the habit, though the left hand 

 was bound and swathed." * 



Dr. Eugene Dupuy states that "he owed to his 

 friend Dr. Gibney the opportunity of observing a 

 family consisting of father and mother, five children, 

 and one grandchild. 



1 " Animals and Plants under Domestication," vol. ii., p. 15. 

 9 Ibid. ; Ribot on " Heredity," p. 9. 

 8 Ibid., p. 38. 



