Evening star., 1928-03-31
CHILD WHO WALKS LIKE A BEAR
is TYPE OCCASIONALLY FOUND
DR.. Hrdlicka, Broadcasting His Desire for
Information, Gets Reports of so
Such Instances.

The practice of walking on all four,
among infants under / year of age
| presumably a temporary throw-back "a
| far-distant quadruped ancestry, is ap-
| parently quite common In the United
| States.
DR. Ales Hrdlicka, curator OF phys
/ ical anthropology at the National Mu-
/ scum. several months ago opened the
subject by telling OF two chance OBJ
SerVations OF such behavior in the
course OF lifetime spent In watching
closely for physical peculiarities. One
of these children seen by DIR. Hrdltckn
was a negro infant In Africa and the
other vas q white child In the Union
Station at Washington
Al that time DR.. Hrdlicka believed
the phenomenon was very rare, but
since then his mail has contained
numerous letters from persons In the
United States telling OF similar be-
hayior in their own children. until his
data on the subject reached such pro-
portions as almost TO constitute new
branch OF anthropology.
DR., Hrdiicka said yesterday that he
now has more than so authenticated
| instances OF such behavior. with more
coming In every week--neariy all the
letters being from well educated per-
sons.
These letters alone. DR. HrdIicka
says, now would fill a small book, but
| he Is anxious 10 secure as many as pos
| sible. He urges not only that parents
report TO him instances OF infants
waking on all fonrs. but other con-
duct which seems to indicate rever-
sion TO more primitive physical type
Curious Instance.
Among those who have written IA
! DR.. HrdIicka concerning their own
children are university professors and
| Army officers. One mother reported
| the curious instance OF her 7-year-
old girl. who not only had walked or
an fourE in infancy. but had the abil.
it's 10 walk up a tree trunk Ike q
monkey or a cat--that is, she does not
"shinny" tip the tree with her arms
Z and legs partially around the trunk
but literally walks" up rapidly snc
naturally as a monkey would do.
Another mother wrote OF little CIR
who. before she began TO walk, had the
habit ot squstting down on her knees
and holding her hands as dog noidf
his paws, Shortly aftefward ste began
/ 10 walk on all f0urs.
Another interesting case reported
wsg that OF little girl Who walked
rapidly on all foufs and, during hei
/ progress, reached down and picked az
an apple with her teeth without stop
/ ping, just as a quadruped would do.
Walking ON all f0sIfa" is quite ii dif'
ferent thing from the almost universal
practice 0f crawling. Or. Hfdlicka ex.
planned The child does not touch ~
knees 10 the floor but walks or funs
rapidly and naturally, on the fiat oi
+. us feet and the fiat NJ its hands, pre-
! ciseiy like a four footed animal.
VIII Extend Researches.
DR. HrdIicka nov is anxious 10 ilfai
from people of all races In the United
States. He also plans 10 extend his re-
! searches 10 the native peoples 0f Aifics
and Asia, and Is anxious To get III toslcf
with missionaries who viii watcn foi
such pcclIiiafities.
Il Suppose ;" said Df. Hrdilcks, thai
many persons who haye seen such be-
/ nayi0r hesitate " write me about IL
because They feel that II ls reflection
0n their children and tends 10 max
/ monkeys out Of them This II borne
out by the fact that thus far the bulE
of my correspondence has been from
well educated parents, Who appreciate
the scientific value Of this study.
II IL. Cf Ef3tifbA. no FeftciDn NHaI
aDeVeF upon The child. This bfhayio
ls purely physical and not mental ans
the child never continues II afte
IesTulng TO walk naturally on It's feet
Persons VINO understand have no rea
I son 10 be ashamed ri H., and every IN
. stsnce correctly reported II Of RTea
value ~ science The Whole subject %
physical behavior atayisns lg an iln
touched field, which seems 10 have beTi
opened up by those accidental obset
yatlonS VI mine and 40 man can Tel
what will come out ~ IL,
Apparently II has escaped ine Oh
sefgatbJD III sutnfOp0i0gists tn the pas
because II does not appear in h0sDiihl
or among abnormal children DYDhai
aAgiDms might prose Iieh neid II vi
could obtain scEe5s ~ them
PFSbelenTg and Speed,
One mother wrote 10 Df. Hfdiicka;
+ one 0f my daughters III The age o
about 1914 months began ~ adopt th
! pgaetice of running on sll fonrs an
! within . couple ~ geeka attained Rres
proficiency snd nigh speed Before sh
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