H. Drinkwater 337 



contrast to the rule that holds good in adults and youths, so that the 

 arrest of growth occurs in some later period of life, probably beginning 

 at or soon after the age of 2 years. 



The shortness of hands is well shown in PL XII, Nos. 23, 37 and 

 41, where they are represented with normal relatives for the sake of 

 comparison. 



Symmetry. 



" In every instance the hands are exactly symmetrical, as shown both 

 by photography and radiograjjhy (PI. XV); and I believe the same rule 

 holds true with regard to the feet, though both feet were not examined 

 in all cases." This remarkable symmetry obtains even in those cases 

 that show special peculiarities of any of the bones, either in shape or 

 ossification, or in the presence and time of union of the epiphysis. 



Persistence. 



There is no apparent tendency to revert to the normal type, for 

 the hands and feet of No. 9 are no more abnormal than those of her 

 grandchildren ; neither is there any other indication of the abnormality 

 disappearing : on the contrary the numbers seem to be on the increase, 

 the abnormals in the last four of the six generations in the English 

 branch being as follows : 



3 in the third generation. 



8 „ fourth „ 



12 „ fifth 

 23 „ sixth „ 



One would expect a priori that individuals whose fingers are short, 

 stumpy and below the average in strength would be so much handi- 

 capped in the " struggle for existence " that they would be swamped 

 by the general population, and in an uncivilized state of society this 

 surely must have occurred ; but the conditions of modern society have 

 afforded them such chances of survival that their numbers are steadily 

 increasing, yet it seems clear that they are handicapped to some extent, 

 for all the employed men and women are engaged in occupations where 

 there is no great need for manual dexterity : their social position is 

 below that of their normal relatives. 



22—2 



