148 DR. WALTER KIDD ON PROPOSED ADDITIONS [Jan. 19, 



marks the obstacle, whatever it be, to the onwai'd progress of the 

 feathering. Thus can one explain the fact that on the hairy 

 coverings of a very lai'ge collection of animal foi'ms vaiious 

 gradations are found, such as whorls alone, whoi'ls and featherings 

 alone, and whoi'ls, featheiings, and crests. 



It is a fa,ct woi'th noting, Avhatever the meaning of it may be, 

 that the animal wdiich most of all exhibits these phenomena, both 

 as to variety and numbei-, is Equus caballus. It may fairly be 

 taken for granted that many of these air-angements of hair are 

 fully evolved, and that othei's, both in wild and domesticated 

 forms, are in process of development. It may be permitted here 

 to use a geological term applied to a river-bed, and to say that the 

 former have attained their " regimen " and that the latter are on 

 their way to that result. Evidence for most of these statements 

 is to be found in thi'ee papers published in the ' Pi'oceedings ' on 

 kindred subjects*. 



Whoi'ls, featherings, and ci-ests are found in ten different 

 regions — the Premaxillaiy, Nasal, Frontal, Cervical, Spinal, 

 Pectoi'al, Axillary, Inguinal, Gluteal, and Temporal. For the 

 sake of brevity these are indicated in the following list as follows : 

 Pr. N. F. 0. S. Pb. a. I. G. T. Of these ten, T and G are rare and 

 of appai'ently little value to taxonomy. 



In addition to the piimaiy oi* majoi- whoi'ls which ai'e held to 

 be characteristic of certain gi-oups, some suboi'dinate and common 

 instances ai'e given in the list ; the foiinei- ai-e indicated in 

 oi'dinaiy, and the lattei' in italic type. 



No mammalian Order has been found possessing characteristic 

 whorls, featherings, and crests. 



Whoils characteristic of the following groups ai-e indicated by 

 capitals as previously described : — 



Procyonid/e. 



^Eli(,ropas melanole-acus. N ... 1 



Oervidve. Pe C. 

 Genus Moschus. 



,, Cervulas. 



,, Ela'phodits. 



,, Cervas. 



,, JiaiKjifer. 



,, Alces. 



,, Ccqjreolas. 



,, F'lodua. 



Equid.^. F Fe a I G. No exception to this cha- 



Eqttus caballus. 100 examined racteristic F has been found 



in addition to a very in any Equidte except the 



large series observed. Domestic Ass, in which the 



U. asimts {domestic) 20 whorl is changed in position 



Mule 20 and lies over the nasal bones. 



* P. Z. S. 1900, p. 676; 1902, vol. ii. p. 145 ; 1903, vol. i. p. 79. 



