54 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Femur. 



The table gives the length of the bone as measured in two 

 different ways. One shows the viaximitm length of the bone 

 from the summit of the head to the lowest part of the internal 

 condyle ; the other is taken in the oblique position that the 

 bone has in the body, and gives the distances between the 

 highest part of the head and the plane of the condyles. The 

 maximum distance between the top of the great trochanter 

 and the internal condyle is also given, as well as the trochan- 

 teric length iu the oblique position. 



Fifty bones were measured, and the average maximum 

 length of these is 437-5mm. The twenty-six bones of the 

 right side give an average of 438-5mm. ; the twenty-four of 

 the left, 436-3mm. This slightly-greater length of the right 

 bones is, however, not shown in those skeletons in which I 

 was able to compare the bones of opposite sides. In six of 

 these the left bones are the longer ; in one the right and left 

 are equal; while in four only does the right exceed the left. 

 The longest femur measures 494mm. ; the shortest is only 

 399nim. in length. 



I measured also the antero-posterior and the transverse 

 diameters of the shaft of the bone at its centre, as re- 

 commended by Topinard, so as to ascertain the degree of 

 projection of the linea aspera. Taking the transverse width 

 as 100, an index was calculated, which is called by Broca 

 " The Index of the Section of the Femur." I call it in the 

 table the index of the middle of the shaft, as I give another 

 for the section of the upper fourth. The transverse diameter 

 taken is parallel to the plane of the posterior surfaces of the 

 condyles, and is in almost all cases slightly less than a dia- 

 meter taken in somewhat oblique direction at the same level. 

 My results are as follows : The average index of fifty femurs is 

 115-8, varying from 138-1 to 96-4. Three, or 6 per cent., of 

 the bones have indices over 130; thirteen, or 26 per 

 cent., have indices between 120 and 130; twenty, or 40 

 per cent., have indices between 110 and 120; thirteen, or 

 26 per cent., have indices between 100 and 110; and in 

 one only is the index under 100. In a table given in 

 Topinard's Anthi^opology "•' this index, in thirteen New 

 Caledonians, is shown as averaging 127-6 ; while in two pre- 

 historic femora it is still higher ; but in none of the other races 

 given does it reach the Maori average as given above. The 

 "femur a pilastre " may therefore, I think, be regarded as 

 developed to a more than usual extent among the Maoris. 



I also give in the table an index which I call the index of 

 the upper fourth, which gives the proportion between the 



* P. 1019, 



