Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-22

Washington, d. c., Sept, 19.--Nose
prints of animals as a means of ldenti-
flying them are now a subject OF ex-
pertinent. Since the finger print of a
human being has been proved a dis
t~inctive mark of Identification, specu-
lation has arisen as to whether a nose
print of a cow or dog would not be
equally reliable.
Nose prints of several hundred cows
have been made at the University OF
Minnesota, with encouraging results.
Fred Sandberg, a detective OF ponce
headquarters in this city, made some
prints of cows at the soldiers home
the other day and is planning similar
tests with dogs.
Mr.. Sandberg, who is a finger print
expert, explains that he made his ex-
pertinent largely through curiosity. he
was interested in seeing how the nose
prints would look and whether an
standard patterns would recur in diff
ferent animals. There is a fine herd
| of Holstein cows at the soldiers home
in this city, and he went there, carry
ing a tube Of finger print ink, a plate
of glass, some paper n a piece OF
cloth.
The ink first was spread over the
glass. The cows wet muzZle was DRIED
| with the cloth, and the linked glass
was quickly rubbed over the muzzle.
Then the glass was handed to an as,
sistant and a sheet of paper pressed
dexterously against the inky muzzle.
! Nose printing q COW proved to De an
| operation requiring at once patience
and speed, especially speed. The first
time that Sandberg tried the process,
the COW rolled out her long tongue ana
licked off the ink before the paper
could be applied. After that the detec-
tive worked fast and obtained a num-
Der of clear prints.
The prints are about two by three
inches and look somewhat like little pic
tures of animal skins. They have the
shape of a flattened skin, curving In at
both sides where the n~ostrils join the
muzzle. The resemblance is further
carried out by the markings which IN
these particular cows are notified ano
spotty like a leopard skin. Some OF
the prints have a clear space down the
middle, while in others there is no
symmetry in the pattern.
Family Noses Are Similar
1t was found at the University OF
Minnesota that a slight similarity ex-
lists between the prints of cows be-
longing to the same family. Certain
lines seem to be hereditary, a fact that
might be of Importance III a contro-
yersy over the breed of a COW.
While the work is still in a prellm-
mary stage. experiments have indicat-
ed that each print has individuality
The cows and calves at the university
were made the subjects of a series OF
tests to determine whether the pat
tern of q muzzle changes with time or
with the process of growth. Appar-
emily it does not change. The pattern
becomes larger, but retains its peculiar
formation.
The nose print method of identifying
an animal may have practical value, In
the opinion of a local breeder. 1t is
barely possible that nose printing may
supplement branding for identifying
range cattle. Frequently these animals
stray away or are stolen, and the
brands are not difficult to change. II
a ranch owner kept a set of nose
prints Of his stock, he might more GER
| tainly prove ownership in case of &
dispute.
The nose print idea. however, is sug,
gested chiefly for valuable pedigreea
animals. Suppose you go to a farm to
select a pure-bred COW for purchase
Out of a herd of fine black Galloways
YOU choose q desirable animal. A few
weeks later the COW is shipped to your
farm. Could you prove that the COW
Won receive is. or is not, the one that
YOU pointed out to the owner? Prob
ably not in the case of this breed, for
each COW is black. The owner might