MORROW — NOTES ON THE CARIBOU. 299 



any degree comparable with the glandular collection at the hocks 

 before mentioned, which will retain the peculiar odour of the 

 animal for a long period after the removal of the skin. 



" In the presence of these facts we must conclude that this 

 organ is only rudimentary, having no function which is obvious to 

 us, it is not a secreting organ since it lacks glandular tissue ; the 

 opening in the dorsum instead of the sole of the foot would point 

 also in this way ; it does not serve to give strength or firmness to 

 the foot, having none of the toughness and elasticity of skin in other 

 parts, without comparison with the tendons, etc., which are pro- 

 vided for this purpose. Organs without uses are found from man 

 downwards, we sometimes call them foetal structures because some 

 are well developed and are in use before birth, wither and remain 

 useless after birth ; for example, the woolfian bodies, said to be 

 r epresen1ed by the suprarenal capsules; others have no obvious 

 use at any period, but are better developed in the fetus than in 

 the adult; example, Appendix vermiformis in man, others may 

 point to structural affinities inherited from a distant period, of which 

 natural history furnishes many examples. 



" From an individual point of view, taking in all the circum- 

 stances referred to, there appear to be only two ways of accounting 

 for this structure, it is either an aborted ungual follicle or other- 

 wise it is a ' cul-du-sac ' representing the suture formed by coale- 

 scence of the skin from side to side in the foetus. Its structure 

 would convince one of the first conclusion, if the animal had rudi- 

 mentary toe bones in the same position, indicative of a three toed 

 ancestor, but all observations relative to the morphology of the 

 foot, are opposed to this view, since the outer bones and their 

 appendages are aborted in all animals of this kind. We are there- 

 fore compelled to adopt the other view which can be only settled 

 saisfactorily by examination of the part in the foetus. Nevertheless 

 from knowing the difficulty of substantiating any theory connected 

 with its supposed origin and use ; still more of ridding one's mind 

 of a theory once entertained, my faith in either of these is held very 

 loosely." 



In conclusion, it may be that what I have written has been 



