earth's crust, or to other geographical changes, they became isolated in the more remote spots. For some reason or other, which does not concern us now, the great northern continents were the seat of the evolution of the higher forms of mammalian life, perhaps even of vertebrates generally, and in the keenness of the struggle for existence the less specialised forms were usually at a disadvantage, and if they could not adapt themselves to new conditions they had to die out. The great southern land areas were only temporarily connected with the northern lands at various periods, and so they received consignments of low-grade animals at various periods, and these lower types were able to continue. For example, New Zealand was cut off from the rest of the world before any snakes or terrestrial mammals had wandered so far. Australia received a contingent of only the two lowest groups of mammals. Africa, south of Sahara, for a long time was stocked with other mammals of a low type, for it is only comparatively recently that the higher mammals, such as elephants, antelopes, lions, leopards, and the like, have been able to migrate from their home in Europe and to swarm across or around the Sahara barrier; but being higher types they have supplanted and largely exterminated the lower forms.

This is pretty much what we find among the carts we have studied. In some of the remote and backward parts of the mainland of Europe lumbering carts with solid wooden wheels still persist. In the western parts of the British Islands, where competition has not been so keen, earlier types have been isolated and continued down to our own day, and it may well be that the slide-car is really an ancestral form which has been preserved in the islands at the fag-end of Europe.

There are also some points of interest in connection with the evolution of the jaunting-car. There is contemporary

evidence to show that the means for the conveyance of passengers in Ireland up to the beginning of this century left a great deal to be desired. Hackney-coaches had been introduced from England, but they were expensive to hire. One-horse vehicles appear to have been employed in Ireland long before the London cab was borrowed from Paris, which was virtually in 1823, although nine cabriolets were licensed for parts of London in 1805. Mr. Hansom did not invent his two-wheeled modification till 1834; but the present "hansom-cab" was really the invention of Mr. John Chapman, who patented it at the end of 1836.

Early in the eighteenth century the "Ringsend Car" plied between Dublin and Irishtown. It consisted, according to the authors' of a History of the City of Dublin, of a seat suspended on a strap of leather between two shafts, and without springs. The noise made by the creaking of this strap, which supported the whole weight of the company, peculiarly distinguished this mode of conveyance. This was succeeded by the " Noddy," a kind of cramped, covered one-horse shay, and so called from its oscillating motion backwards and forwards; it disappeared about the same time as the century. The low-backed car was then in process of evolution into the jaunting-car, but, in 1806, a new vehicle sprang into existence; this was the noisy fourwheeled "Jingle," which had a period of popularity for thirty years, and finally gave place to the outside jauntingcar. The inside jaunting-car was also in use about this time; it may have had its origin from seats being placed along the sides of an ordinary cart in such a manner that the passengers faced one another, their legs being inside the conveyance. A little later, a cover was added to the latter, and so the "covered car" was arrived at, the last of which,

1 J. Warburton, J. Whitelaw, and R. Walsh, History of the City of Dublin, London, 1818, ii., p. 1173.

it is stated, was seen in Dublin some dozen or so years ago. All these one-horse vehicles have been beaten in the struggle for existence by the outside or jaunting-car, which has practically not only vanquished coaches in the past, but has prevented the hansom-cab from establishing itself in Dublin. The ordinary cab is too useful in wet weather and for carrying luggage to be much affected by the competition of the car. We have seen how rapidly this vehicle spread over Ireland, being adapted in many ways to the country. It was elongated by Bianconi, and proved in his hands, and in those of his imitators, an important factor in the betterment of the condition of the small farmer in country districts.

"

There was a need in Dublin during the last century for light one-horse vehicles; several writers connect this with the fashion at that time for sea-bathing. In response to the demand came a supply; the slow “Ringsend Car" gave place to the objectionable "Noddy," the rackety" Jingle' supplanted the "Noddy," and had a short but brilliant career. When the "Noddy" was in its decline, the prehistoric, low-backed car was unostentatiously being transformed into the outside car, and when it was perfected the noisy, swift“ Jingle" yielded to the superior qualities of its rival. All these vehicles were of purely local origin, but, so far as the available evidence shows, the jaunting-car alone belongs to the same sequence as the ordinary Irish cart of the last century.

CHAPTER VIII

TOYS AND GAMES: CAT'S CRADLE AND KITES

A

T first sight it does not appear that games played by children would afford a very profitable field for investigation, but if we wish to learn all we can about mankind no branch of inquiry should be neglected. I shall endeavour in this and the following chapters to indicate some of the conclusions which may be drawn therefrom.

The games played by children have a very varied origin, and a similarly unequal value to the student. Before we consider the games played by our children it is desirable to glance at those played by savages.

The children of savages play at the occupations of their elders, and the boys will have their toy bows and arrows; where the natives spear fish, boys and girls will have toy fishing-spears, with which they attempt to catch fish. They play with toy canoes, and so forth. Even when the adults have discarded a weapon such as the bow and arrow for a more serviceable weapon, the children will continue their toy-whether it be in New Guinea or in England. Our English boys still delight in the implements of warfare of their barbaric ancestors, such as the bow and arrow, the sling, the sword and shield. The memory of these has been preserved from generation to generation through the unbroken continuity of boyish practice.

Games of ball have now with us purely a diversional char

acter, but it seems probable that even this harmless amusement has a somewhat sinister history.

Mr. Newell, the distinguished American folklorist, reminds us that in England, country folk speak of the "camp-game of ball and of the "camping-ground." Pollux, writing in Greek in the second century, gave an account of the "common ball," or "ball-battle," of his day. Almost exactly the same was the ancient Norse game, except that the resemblance to warfare was closer. Playing the game was called "kemping," from Kemp, a warrior or champion, and the field was a "kemping-ground." "kemping-ground." The Persians and Turks still practise a different sort of game, which is played on horseback. The Byzantine court adopted from the East the playing on horseback and the racket, but introduced these into a game resembling the ancient "ball-battle." The historian Cinnamus describes the Emperor Manuel, in the twelfth century, as fond of this kind of polo.

From the Eastern custom we get our tennis, whilst, according to Newell, most of our games with bat and ball seem to have come down to us from the North. "The history of the change from actual to imitative warfare, from the latter to a harmless and courtly amusement or to a rustic pastime, from this last again in our days to a scientific sport, may supply material for serious reflection." These early games of ball were evidently martial exercises, and encouraged for the purpose of keeping the young men in good condition for actual warfare.

1

Our children also copy the actions of their parents, but it is noteworthy that they prefer the more primitive to the more civilised pursuits, and their games retain more of the savage character than is typical of nineteenth-century culture. The love of playing with dolls and of dressing and

I W. W. Newell, Games and Songs of American Children, New York, 1884, pp. 177, 178.