NA TURE 



\_Nov. I, li 



all the more advisable to enter these in the catalogae, with ap- 

 propriate remarks, so that systematic explorations might be made 

 wheel the opportunity presented itself for raising a fund for the 

 purpose. Even when local histories or traditions are decided 

 respecting the age of any earthwork or other ancient structure, 

 but little credence can be attached to such traditions until actual 

 investigations have been made. As far as my own experience 

 goes, and from information derived from other sources, it would 

 appear that local tradition is the bane of the scientific archxolo- 

 gist. There is, for instance, hardly any prehistoric monument 

 in this country that has not been pronounced Roman by some 

 antiquarian authority, an opinion which not only has often been 

 proved by excavation to be erroneous, but which has also had 

 the pernicious effect of checking further inquiry. 



In recommending to your societies the actual investigation of 

 the minor prehistoric remains of your districts as a task well 

 worthy of the attention of any scientific body, it is perhaps not 

 wholly necessary to urge that any excavations attempted should 

 be carried out with the most scrupulous care, and the materials 

 removed restored if possible on the completion of the work, so as 

 to avoid any permanent disfigurement. The so-called "explora- 

 tion " of many ancient structures whose venerable antiquity should 

 have rendered them sacred has often been conducted in a manner 

 which can only be called an act of desecration. How frequently 

 do we read in local histories such statements as the following : — 



"On Common there formerly stood a large mound of 



eartli supposed to be a tumulus, which was opened by Mr. 



in the year , but nothing of any interest was 



found except a ftw fragments of poUery and some decayed lioiies " ! 

 .Such passages as this, which is not a verbatim extract but simply 

 an ideal specimen illustrating the kind of destruction that has 

 been going on, lead to the supposition that the prevailing idea 

 in opening a tumulus is the discovery of hidden treasure. Any 

 other find is considered devoid of interest, and the scientific 

 value of the structure is for ever lost by the scattering of its 

 contents. 



The ancient monuments committees of local societies, in 

 addition to the preparation of catalogues and the conduction of 

 explorations, would have another important function to fulfil : 

 they might take upon themselves the duties of vigilance com- 

 mittees, keeping a watchful eye upon the ancient remains in 

 their neighbourhood, and preventing as far as possible their 

 destruction. In the case of minor remains which were not con- 

 sidered worth scheduling for State protection, opportunities 

 would often occur for investigating without incurring the ex- 

 pense of systematic excavation. In the course of building or 

 agricultural operations old ramparts are frequently cleared away 

 in perfect ignorance of their value to the archseologist ; or again, 

 a new road has to be made, which in its course passes through 

 the remains of some ancient earthwork now almost obliterated 

 by the h.and of time. In such cases the vigilance committee, 

 having previously catalogued the remains threatened, would en- 

 deavour to come to some arrangement with the owner of the 

 property, and obtain permission to appoint watchers for the 

 purpose of recording the nature and position of any relics that 

 might be found. T he fact that local societies have not in past 

 times been sufficiently alive to the important work which might 

 thus have been done by taking advantage of any unavoidable 

 demolition of prehistoric remains has led to the destruction of a 

 vast amount of material which, under proper supervision, might 

 li.ave furnished facts of lasting importance to anthropological 

 .science. It remains with your respective societies to determine 

 whether such ruthless waste of evidence is to be allowed in the 

 future. 



OBSERVATIONS ON HEREDITY IN CATS 

 WITH AN ABNORMAL NUMBER OF TOES 



TOURING the last few years I have had occasional oppor- 

 "^ tunities of studying heredity in various families of cats 

 with an abnormal number of toes, and whose ancestors for some 

 few generations at least, have possessed the same peculiarity. 

 The observations have now been continued over a period long 

 enough to render their publication a matter of interest. I first 

 became acquainted with these cats in the winter of 1S78, when 

 staying near Haverfordwest. I m.ide inquiries on seeing one of 

 them for the first time, and ascertained that it had been obtained 

 fr im Mr. Edward Vaughan, of Fern Hill, Haverfordwest, a 

 relation of the friend with whom I was staying. Shortly after- 

 wards I saw Mr. Vau'han, and liad a lon^ talk with him about 



the peculiarity. At the time I took notes of his experience, 

 and he has since kindly written to give farther information. He 

 first became acquainted with two generations of tortoiseshell cats 

 with the normal number of toes (living respectively to the ages 

 of eleven and twenty). Then in the third generation the extra 

 toes appeared (this cat died aged nineteen, and was also a 

 tortoiseshell). This eat or the mother was brought from Bristol 

 to Haverfordwest. The peculiarity was inherited liy "Punch" 

 — a cat now living, and fifteen years old last May, also a tortoise- 

 shell — making four generations. " Punch " has six toes on each 

 fore foot, and six on each hind foot, but two of her kittens have 

 had seven on hind and fore feel, and all varieties between the 

 extreme and normal form have occurred commonly. It is a very 

 curious and interesting fact that now in her old age all her 

 kittens have the normal number of toes. Mr. Vaughan is of 

 opinion that the peculiarity is also dying out among " Punch's " 

 de cendanis, but this is by no means my experience with the 

 branch of the family I have observed. He also gained the im- 

 pression that the female kittens were more affected with the 

 peculiarity than the males. Mr. Vaughan also made the inter- 

 esting observation that the peculiarity reappeared in the kittens 

 of a normal female cat (a daughter of " Punch's "), although in 

 smaller proportions. 



Fig. 1. — Right fore paw from 

 , above, with extra toes. 



Fig. 3. — Hight fore paw froir 

 above, normaU 



Fig. 4. — Right fore paw from 



In the spring of 1879 Mr. Vaughan very kindly sent a female 

 tabby kitten to my home at Reading. This was a daughter of 

 " Punch's," and it possessed six toes on each fore foot and six 

 on each hind, thus rendering the feet very broad and giving them 

 a most remarkable appearance. This cat, although rather wild, 

 was very clever, being easily taught to "shake hands," and 

 catching birds and even fish with surprising ease. When a little 

 over a year old the first family (of four) was born, in the middle 

 of June, 18S0. 



All the four kittens were tabbies, and I made the following 

 notes of them: — (i) male: fore paws, five toes, but the insig- 

 nificant innermost toe being absent, the foot appeared broad like 

 the mother's ; hind paws, five toes. (2) female : fore paws, 

 five toes, same as (l) ; hind paws, six toes. (3) and (4) females: 

 normal ; five toes on fore paw s, four on hind. No. (2) in this 

 li,-t was given to a friend, and will be again referred to. One 

 normal female was also given away, but was soon lost without 

 offspring ; the other female was killed. There is nothing in the 

 above list to support the view that the females are more affected 

 than the males with the mother's peculiarity. 



The next family of which I have notes was born May 13, 

 1881. The three kittens were t.abbies as before: — (i) male: 

 normal. (2) female : normal. (3) female : six toes on each 

 fore and hind foot, as the mother. Here the only affected kitten 

 is a female. 



