436 Mr Duckworth, Note on the Dispersive Power 
and I at once noticed in it indubitable signs of the disease known 
in human pathology as Osteo-arthritis and vulgarly as “ Rheu- 
matics. ’’ Struck by the reflection that one of the bones found 
by Dubois was also a pathological specimen, and that Virchow 
had discussed the possibility of osteo-arthritis being the cause 
of the disease in that case (cf. Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie , 1895), 
I determined to investigate the remainder of the bones, and in 
particular, to endeavour to determine how far such fragments 
of the skeleton could be dispersed by such a comparatively small 
stream as I had before me. 
Examination of the bones indicated that two, and only two 
animals, shewn by the characters of the bones to be small horses, 
had perished here. There seems no doubt that the animals had 
been mired in the marsh during the preceding winter, the state of 
the bones suggesting this limit of time. Furthermore, as numerous 
ponies roam in a semi-wild state over the neighbouring hills and 
marshy tracts, there is no reason to suppose that the animals had 
been specially brought to this spot to be destroyed. 
The investigation was further simplified by the discovery that 
of the two animals, one was a young individual (between three 
and four years) and the other (the rheumatic one) aged. Thus the 
identification of the several remains was rendered much more easy 
than would otherwise have been the case. 
The remainder of my examination resolved itself into pacing 
the distances between the various bones, and I contented myself 
with the observations embodied in the accompanying map ; this 
shows the position of the more important parts of the skeleton 
of the older animal, which I have denoted by the letter “A”; the 
positions of one or two bones of the other pony “B” are also 
indicated, as well as some ribs and digital bones (phalanges) 
whose ownership was not determined with certainty. 
I. The important point brought out by the observations is that 
the two humeri of the animal “ A” were separated by a distance 
of 153 feet along the bed of this small stream. In comparison 
with this, the distance of 15 metres (48 feet 9 in.) demanded by 
Dr Dubois for the Javan bones can be granted without difficulty. 
II. A few other points seem worthy of notice in this place. 
Firstly, the possibility of dispersion by wild animals was here 
excluded : the bones exhibit no signs whatever of having been 
gnawed by dogs, which are almost the only animals that could be 
suggested as responsible. Foxes are excluded for the same reason. 
Secondly, it will be noticed that the ribs have been carried furthest 
down-stream, no doubt owing to their lightness. 
Again, if the distance of 153 feet from humerus to humerus 
should appear to prove too much, it must be mentioned that the 
course of the stream runs down at an angle of about 8 C on the 
