Scott. — Osteology of the Maori and Moriori. 57 



bable that the altered form of the shaft of the femur in the 

 Maori, and the pecuhar curve of the fibula, are also due to this 

 cause, not perhaps to altered or increased muscular develop- 

 ment, as with platycnemia, but to pressures depending on the 

 position of the body and lower limbs. 



Fibula. 



The length given is the maximum, the distance between 

 the tip of the spine and the apex of the malleolus. 



Thirty-two bones were measured, and these average 

 345-5nmi. in length, The longest fibula measures 375mm., 

 the shortest 316mm. 



The peroneal surface is always deeply channelled, and the 

 curve of the shaft is not as usually seen in European bones. 

 Instead of being bent with the concavity of the curve forwards, 

 I have generally found the bone to be either straight or to 

 have a curve which is convex forwards. 



Humero-femoral Index. 



This gives the proportion between the lengths of the 

 humerus and femur, and is calculated according to the 

 formula — 



Humeral length x 100 

 Femoral length 



The maximum length of both bones is taken. 



The material at my disposal enabled me to calculate the 

 index in twenty-one cases, both right and left limbs of the 

 same body being used when the skeleton was sufficiently 

 perfect to allow of the necessary measurements being made on 

 both sides. The average of these twenty-one indices is 72-5 — 

 the highest is 77-5, and the lowest 68-4. Professor Turner's 

 two Maoris give indices of 72-5 and 71'5 respectively, and 

 scarcely alter the average. 



This proportion between these two bones is the same as it 

 is in Europeans, but is higher than what has been found in 

 Negroes, Australians, and Andaman Islanders. 



Tibio-femoral Index. 

 This indicates the proportion between the length of the 

 tibia and the femur of the same limb, and is calculated 

 according to the formula — 



Tibial length x 100 

 Femoral length 



The maximum length of the femur has been used, but in 

 the case of the tibia, though I include the malleolus, I exclude 

 the spines. 



