266 ANTHROPOLOGY xvn 



the addition of the remarkably simple, ingenious, and certain 

 method of personal identification first used in India by Sir 

 William Herschel, but fully elaborated in this country by Mr. 

 Francis Galton that called the " finger-mark system," about 

 which I shall have a few more words to say presently. 



With the concluding words of the Committee's Keport I 

 most fully concur : " We may confidently anticipate that, if 

 fairly tried, it will show very satisfactory results within a few 

 years in the metropolis ; but the success of its application in 

 the country generally will depend on the voluntary co-operation 

 of the independent county and borough police forces. This, 

 we feel sure, will not be withheld. When the principles of 

 the system are understood and its usefulness appreciated, we 

 believe it will not only save much time and labour to the 

 police in the performance of an important duty, but will give 

 them material assistance in tracing and detecting the ante- 

 cedents of the guilty, and will afford, so far as its scope 

 extends, an absolute safeguard to the innocent." 



It is very satisfactory to be able to add that in the House 

 of Commons on 26th June, in answer to a question from 

 Colonel Howard Vincent, the Home Secretary announced 

 that the recommendations of the Committee have been 

 adopted; and that, in order to facilitate research into the 

 judicial antecedents of international criminals, the registers 

 of measurements would be kept on the same plan as that 

 adopted with such success in France, and also in other 

 continental countries. 



I have just mentioned the " finger-mark system," and of 

 all the various developments of Anthropology in recent times 

 none appears to me more interesting than the work done by 

 Mr. Galton upon this subject ; for though, as indicated above, 

 he is not quite the first who has looked into the question or 

 shown its practical application in personal identification, he 

 has carried his work upon it far beyond that of any of his 

 predecessors, both in its practical application and into regions 

 of speculation un thought of by any one else. Simple and in- 

 significant as in the eyes of all the world are the little ridges 

 and furrows which mark the skin of the under-surface of our 

 fingers, existing in every man, woman, and child born into the 



