February 4, 1887.] 



SCIENCE. 



121 



which, instead of being bent and pressed against 

 the arrow, is nearly straight, its tip, as well as the 

 tip of the second and sometimes that of the third 

 finger, engaging the string." This is the kind of 

 release practised by most of the western tribes of 

 this country. 



" In holding the bow horizontally, the release- 

 hand is held with the palm uppermost, the 

 arrow, of course, resting on the bow, . . . but 

 necessities arising, as in shooting in a forest, or 

 shooting side by side with others closely ap- 

 pressed, the bow w^as required to be held vertical- 

 ly. In thus turning the bow-hand in the only 



Figs, 7 and 8. — Mediterranean release. 



way it could be turned conveniently, the arrow 

 would be brought to the left of the bow vertical. 

 ... In the primary and secondary releases, 

 however, it makes but little difference on which 

 side the arrow is placed ; and some tribes, using 

 the bow vertical, place the arrow to the right, and 

 this is probably a quicker way of adjusting the 

 arrow when shooting rapidly." 



Professor Morse next considers a form of re- 

 lease "which by documentary evidence has been 

 in vogue among the Mediterranean nations for 

 centuries. It is the oldest release of which we 

 have any knowledge. It is practised to-day by all 

 modern English, French, and American archers, 

 and is the one practised by European archers of 

 the middle ages. It consists in drawing the string 

 back with the tips of the first, second, and third 

 fingers, the balls of the fingers clinging to the 

 string, with the terminal joints of the fingers 

 slightly flexed. The arrow is lightly held be- 

 tween the first and second fingers, the thumb 

 straight and inactive." 



Since it has been practised by the Mediter- 

 ranean nations from early historic times, he very 

 appropriately calls it the ' Mediterranean release.' 



" This is unquestionably an advance on the oth- 

 ers thus far described, as it enables the drawing 

 of a stifEer bow, and is exceedingly delicate and 

 smooth at the instant of loosing the arrow." It 

 is quite remarkable that this method of release is 

 practised by the Eskimo; which circumstancd'tends 

 to confirm Prof. Boyd Dawkins's theory that this 

 people is the direct representative of the cave- 

 dwellers of southern France. The Eskimo are the 

 only people known to Professor Morse, who have 

 designed a distinct form of arrow for this method 

 of release. 



Finally Professor Morse proceeds to examine 

 an entirely independent release, having no relation 

 to the others. " In this the string is drawn by the 

 flexed thumb bent over the string, the end of the 

 forefinger assisting in holding the thumb in this 

 position. The arrow is held at the junction of the 

 thumb and forefinger, the base of the finger press- 

 ing the arrow against the bow. For this reason 

 the arrow is always placed to the right of the bow 

 vertical. This release is characteristic of the 

 Asiatic races, such as the Manchu, Chinese, Kore- 



FlGS. 9 AND 10. — MONGOLIAN RELEASE. 



an, Japanese, Turk, and doubtless other cognate 

 peoples." 



As it is practised almost exclusively by Mongo- 

 lian nations, he calls it the ' Mongolian release.' 



In this release the thumb has to be protected by 



