University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

Scope and Contents Ewart writes that the examination of the skulls from the Roman fort near Melrose has proved that horses representing four distinct varieties or species were living under domestication during the first century. The Zoology Board of the Royal Society Government Grant Committee have started an investigation to ascertain the origins of various species of horse by examining bones and cross-breeding. Ewart requests Russell's financial help with meeting the costs of this investigation....

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Irving mentions that he has been able to show that the formula for the 'coffin-bones' of prehistoric horses doesn't work. However, he does confirm that the metacarpals of the Stortford horse are identical with those of the 'pleistocene' horses of Ilford in the Thames Valley and Grantchester.

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Irving writes that he has compared a horse skull at the Geological Museum with that of the Stortford skeleton and concludes that the former resembles the two skulls of Ewart's from Newstead. The skull was found in a brick yard in Melton Mowbray. Irving provides a table of comparative measurements for the Stortford and Melton Mowbray horse skulls.

Scope and Contents Irving asks Ewart for his opinion of the paper concerning the Equus robustus horse type, and encloses a copy of the Section D paper from the British Association. He reports that he saw and handled the horse tooth found in the Piltdown gravels, and he believes it to be part of Equus robustus. He wonders whether it would be worth a short note in Nature, and wonders how far back Equus...

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Irving writes that he has had the opportunity to inspect several 'mustangs' in a stud, and was struck by their resemblance to the Stortford horse, except in the development of the hind quarters. He speculates that differences in the development of the hind quarters in various breeds may be connected to how hilly their local region is.

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Dawson follows up his letter regarding the horned 'zebra' horse, which he has been told is now 'somewhere in France'. He has made arrangements for its head to be sent to him if it should die. He will shortly be in Edinburgh and wishes to see the horse skull Ewart mentions which seems to bear similar horn-like features. He will also bring some new pieces of Eoanthropus skull from near Piltdown for Ewart to see.

The letter is undated.

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Lönnberg thanks Ewart and his wife for their hospitality to him during his recent visit and states that he is sending Ewart some papers on veterbrates which might be of interest to him. He describes a horse skull which has been dug up in Stockholm at the site of the Battle of Brunkeberg, fought between Denmark and Sweden in 1471.

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Gregory writes that the lower jaw of a horse has been discovered in the upper drifts filling the pre-glacial valley of the Clyde at Lanark. He suspects that it dates from around the Early Neolithic period. He asks Ewart to look at the specimen and write a short note on it for inclusion in the Hunterian Museum glacial vertebrate fossils.

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Duerst acknowledges receipt of Ewart's paper 'On skulls of horses from the Roman fort at Newstead' and states that he will send Ewart a copy of his own treatise on the animal remains from Anau when he has received it. He proposes that the desert horse from Anau must be the first domestic horse, or else the first desert or oriental horse.

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Duerst writes that he has molars from heavy horses but not from Westeregeln or Thiede, and recommends that Ewart contact Professor Dr Hesse. He has studied the skeleton of the Remagen horse only rapidly and believes it is possible that the metatarsel in question may belong to another specimen.