430 Canadian Record of Science 



want of closer observation of the habits of the lower 

 animals. The monkeys are quadrumanous animals, using 

 their fore hands as feet as well as prehensible organs, 

 and indifferently right or left as occasion may require. 

 So quadrupeds use all four feet as medium of support 

 and progression and there is apparently no reason why 

 they should make use of one side more than the other. 

 Yet as we shall see there are reasons why there is a 

 possible difference of the two sides with them also. 



In man, in very early childhood, the mother carries 

 her infant on her left arm and thus the child's right 

 arm is compressed against the mother's breast; this 

 would leave the child's left hand and arm free to move 

 and would give the child the earliest tendency to use 

 its left hand most. 



This habit pervades most civilized races who are more 

 right-handed than the more uncivilized, the females of 

 which latter races carry their babies slung over the 

 shoulders in some way; and hence there is no special 

 inducement for the child to use either hand more than 

 the other. 



It is the late Dr. Gilbert Finlay Girdwood, of London, 

 the writer's father, to whom the writer is indebted for 

 many suggestions and thoughts on the habits and in- 

 stincts of the lower animals, and to whom the writer 

 now desires to give all credit for whatever of value may 

 be in these thoughts and facts on this subject, and whose 

 death in 1870 prevented his carrying out what he doubt- 

 less would have done far better than his son. 



Amongst other things he observed was the fact that 

 in horses where there is one white leg it will probably 

 be the near hind-leg, if two, these will likely be the 

 two hind-legs, and if three, the two hind and near fore- 

 leg; this observation has been extended and an official 

 list of 3,000 horses is examined which was obtained by 

 writing to all the veterinary offices in the United States 

 Army in cavalry regiments and horse artillery and to 

 the veterinary officers of the Northwest Mounted Police, 



