PALM ASD SOLE IMPRESSIONS. 



403 



for the left hand is iS.6.5.3., which occurs in 9 per cent, of the cases, 

 while for the right hands the commonest formula is 11.9.7.5., occur- 

 ring in 22 per cent, of the cases. The records from so small a number 

 of cases can not be conclusive, but it would seem both by the number 

 of formulge represented and by the smaller percentage of occurrence 

 of the commonest formula that the left hand is much more variant. 



From this table there mav be also calculated the amount of latitude 

 allowed in the positions assumed by each line and the percentage of 

 occurrence of each terminus of each, the results of which are given for 

 convenience in a separate table, as follows: 



Table II. 



It will be seen by this that the commonest position for line D is 

 11 (between the index and middle fingers), a position which occurs in 

 75 out of 200. Similarly the commonest position for line C is 7 ; for 

 line B, 5; and for line A also 5; but, curiously enough, the com- 

 monest actual formula is not 11.7.5.5., the combination of these. This 

 table also shows that line D may oscillate in its position from the inter- 

 space between the ring and little fingers to that between the middle 

 finger and the index; that line C swings between an open position and 

 the same limit as that of line D, and so on. 



In the emplo}Tnent of these line formulge as a primary classifica- 

 tion it seems advisable for several reasons to employ that of the left 

 hand first, which will be seen to divide a series into between 40 and 

 50 compartments, and since the right hands appear to vary independ- 

 ently or nearly so, the addition of the line formulse of those would 

 subdivide each of the 40 or 50 into about the same number of lesser 

 compartments, or in all approximately 45^ or 2,025. 



That is, if the hand-prints of a city of 100,000 inhabitants were 

 arranged in accordance with the line classification alone, there would 

 be needed over two thousand compartments, with, theoretically, about 



