No. 391.] REVIEWS OF RECENT LITERATURE. 609 
again noticed among children of the mixed type. The city-born chil- 
dren show a slightly greater tendency to infectious diseases, except 
to scarlatina, than those born in the country. 
The city-born children examined show-8.2 per cent of short-sighted 
individuals, those born in the country only 7.6 per cent. Defects 
of hearing were noticed in 5.4 per cent of the 7607 boys examined. 
These data cannot be considered in any way as very exceptional. 
Myopia is more frequent among the dark, defects of hearing among 
blonde, children. 
Such are, briefly, the results of the study of Dr. Matiegka. The 
creditable work arouses the reflection, Why do not all our large Amer- 
ican cities follow the example of Boston, Worcester, Toronto, St. Louis, 
where highly successful work of similar nature has been done? Our 
cities are certainly more able financially to support work of this 
nature than is Prague, or, in fact, any European city; and the inves- 
tigations are at least more desirable and promising than in any Euro- 
pean capital. The most interesting and instructive conditions of 
choice, mixture, survival, and, possibly, evolution, are passing under 
our eyes unrecorded. is is a country which presents almost all 
the climates, an infinity of social conditions, and a large number of 
racial relations, which all more or less affect the development of the 
American of the future. Yet most of these opportunities are neglected. 
This is only partly, if at all, due to a lack of the proper men to do 
the work. The main obstructions which the American anthropologist 
has to contend with in this particular line are-a disinterested, or even 
unfavorable public sentiment and, what will no doubt appear incom- 
prehensible to our European colleagues, a lack of funds. 
| ALES HRDLICKA. 
Anthropological Notes. 
Journal it is stated that letters from Mr. Low, dated December 30, 
have been received, telling of his arrival at Great Whale River, on the 
east coast of Hudson Bay. He had surveyed about five hundred 
miles of coast, half of which was entirely new. Mr. Low carried a 
pair of skis with him, and states that the Eskimos of Great Whale 
River are devoting themselves to making and learning to use skis. 
In the same journal Mr. Edward Heawood gives a summary of the 
contents of a dozen recent books on Africa. 
Dr. William Sorenson, of Copenhagen, we are told in a paragraph 
in Natural Science for April, has shown that Worsaae was the first to 
