332 A Second BrachniJacfyloits Family 



the middle finger." This inclination is sometimes so marked that, in 

 the position of rest, the ring-finger lies partly in front of the middle 

 one. Strangely enough the little finger tends to project away from 

 its neighbour, so as to leave a large gap between the two (PI. XII, 

 Nos. 27, 23, 41). 



The skin of the back (dorsum) of the hand is very cc^arselj' 

 reticulated. 



The mouth of the sweat glands is conspicuous. 



The nails are well formed in every individual. 



Strength of Grij}. It is considerably below the noiiuul average. 



B. The Feet. 



" Here the one main peculiarity is the shortness of the toes — each 

 one apparently having only two phalanges. They are also broad and 

 straight, with very little tendency to the extreme flexion of many 

 ordinary toes." 



In the photograph of the plantar aspect of the foot of the child 

 (PL XII, No. 43), the toes are shown fully extended. Frequently the 

 length scarcely, if at all, exceeds the width, as in the three smaller toes 

 in this child. 



Facts revealed by Radiography. 



A. Hands. 



The X-rays show that the middle phalanx is not really absent ; a 

 fact which could not possibly have been ascertained from the most 

 careful ocular and digital examination. Without the aid of radiography 

 one would conclude that there is an absence of the middle phalanx, and 

 even the X-rays might lead to the same conclusion if the hands of some 

 adults were the only ones examined. The young man, PI. XIV, No. 37, for 

 instance, has only two bones in each finger, and at first sight it looks 

 as though the middle bone — the second phalanx — is altogether missing, 

 whilst the other bones appear about normal; but if the terminal phalanx 

 is carefully compared with the corresponding bone in a normal hand it 

 will be seen that the base is much thicker than it should be. In most 

 of the abnormal fingers, this thickened base is seen to form almost 

 a perfect cube, being as broad as long. Whenever this condition is 

 present, it will be found that there is no vestige of the separate middle 

 phalanx. 



