SOCIETY OF THE UNIVEJRSITY OF ABERDEEN. 11 



it is stated that at the close of the year the total number of finger- 

 prints recorded was 60,000. 



The excellence of the results may be gathered from the fact that 

 during that year alone there were no fewer than 3,642 identifications 

 made by means of finger-prints. 



Within the last few days three cases of conviction by means of 

 finger-prints have come under my notice. In the first the prints had 

 been left on the glass of a fanlight by which the burglar gained access 

 to the premises. 



In the other two cases finger-prints were left by thirsty burglars 

 on drinking-glasses. In one case the prints on the glass were iden- 

 tified at Scotland Yard as those of an ex-convict whose prints had 

 been taken some time previously. In the other case the marks on the 

 glass were photographed and found to correspond with those on the 

 fore and middle fingers of the accused. 



Another point in favour of finger-prints as regards identification 

 is the fact that no two prints have been found to be exactly alike. 

 Galton estimated that the chances of two persons having similar 

 prints was about one in 64,000,000,000. And as the population of 

 the whole world is only about 1,600,000,000, the probability of two 

 persons having exactly similar prints is sufficiently remote. 



In connection with Anthropology there arises the question 

 whether or not finger-prints are distinctive of races. The only statis- 

 tics to be had on this point are those of Galton, who compared the 

 prints of English, Welsh, Hebrews, Negroes and Basques. After 

 careful study, he concluded that there was no very marked character- 

 istic distinguishing races. The prints of negroes seemed on the 

 whole to give an idea of greater simplicity, but this is by no means 

 certain. Nor does intellect and culture appear to affect finger-prints. 

 There was found to be little difference between the prints of great 

 thinkers, of statesmen, of students and those of the inmates of the 

 London asylums. 



In the direction of heredity, however, more positive results have 

 been obtained. Galton examined some 150 prints of fraternal couples 



