A ncient L inear Measures. 211 



sufficient headway by a dozen flaps of the wings to sail thirty or 

 forty yards at a stretch. As they rose in the air, I knocked 

 down two more, thus securing an excellent meal. During the 

 next day 1 laid out on the mound, which was beaten smooth 

 by the trampling and stamping of many little feet, a set of 

 bent rods, inserting the ends well into the earth, and suspending 

 from the arches thus formed running nooses of buffalo sinew* in 

 the same manner as is followed in snaring rabbits. For several 

 evenings and mornings these snares supplied me with from one to 

 three birds ; but they finally either mated or grew wary, for they 

 refrained from indulging in their dance in that locality. 



The fierceness with which they fought may be judged from the 

 fact that in several cases when birds were snared, a lot of feathers 

 were plucked from them, and the skin on the top of the heads was 

 completely pecked off. The poor unfortunate bird, held fast by 

 the sinew loop, was soon killed by his blood-thirsty companions. 



V. Some Prehistoric and Ancient Linear Measures. 



By R. P. Greg. 



I have for a considerable length of time been engaged on an 

 investigation concerning the units of measure among certain 

 ancient nations ; and though there is not space, within the limits 

 of a mere communication * like the present, to enter upon the 

 whole ground gone over, which would moreover entail a consider- 

 able number of figures and illustrations, I will, as briefly as possi- 

 ble, recapitulate some of the leading results, about which, I think 

 there is little reasonable ground for doubt, and which may lead to 

 interesting results. 



1 . Peru. — From the measurements afforded, mostly by a num- 

 ber of small objects, it would appear that the ancient Peruvians 

 of the time of the Incas employed the same inch and foot as did 

 the Aztecs and Toltecs, and Central Americans : viz., a foot 

 equal to llf inches English, or say a fraction more than the old 

 Roman or Solon's foot. This foot =*298 of a metre, and was 



* Communicated as correspondence to The Academy, July 4th and 25th 



1885. 



