411 



there are eleven in the place of twelve; but we may add (and it is 

 to the point in the present discussion) that sometimes the smaller 

 number of vertebrae are of larger size than usual as if the organism 

 were making an effort to bring about normal conditions. In the 

 flipper-like primitive extremity there is not one series of elements 

 but several; and I am not aware that there is any justification for 

 declaring that there is a normal number of elements in each series, 

 <;onsequently there is the greater difficulty in attributing individuality 

 to any particular element. The more distally the element is situated 

 the greater the difficulty. In short my argument was directed against 

 the individuality of the elements of the carpus and tarsus. I em- 

 phasized the fact that under peculiar circumstances cells or groups 

 of cells in the developing organism occasionally have a career very 

 different from their normal one. 



Schwalbe in his criticism of my views refers to some figures 

 •on p. 79 of Pfitzner's work (5) showing the styloid as a part of 

 the 3rd. metacarpal, as an accessory carpal, as an abnormal process 

 on the trapezoid, and as one on the capitatum. Now it is perfectly 

 ■clear that Pfitzner meant to show by these figures that the styloid, 

 whether a process of the metacarpal, or fused with a carpal bone, or 

 a free element, is always precisely one and the same thing. It would 

 be conclusive enough were it not for this occasional indication of the 

 styloid on the metacarpal and also on the capitatum. Schwalbe 

 thinks I make the mistake by calling „styloid" what is simply an 

 increase of the size of either one bone or the other. Thus in a certain 

 «ase the real styloid is on the capitatum and what I take to be its 

 representative on the metacarpal is nothing but an extra growth of 

 the bone to fill up. To which I reply that it none the less strongly 

 resembles the styloid of which there is a striking likeness elsewhere. 

 In passing I would refer to my remarks on the os hamuli. 



The element which particularly interests us in this discussion is 

 the cuboides secundarium. Let us start with Schwalbe's 

 definition. According to him a special boue may appear on the plantar 

 side of the foot in the interspace between the cuboid, navicular, talus 

 ^nd calcaneus. It may be free, or it may be united to the cuboid or 

 the navicular. If it is a process of the cuboid it shoves itself on the 

 plantar side between the navicular and the calcaneus. If it is a 

 process of the navicular it separates the cuboid from the talus in the 

 sole. A little later he declares that another characteristic peculiarity 

 of the cuboides secundarium is that it forms a part of the joint for 

 the head of the talus. Now Schwalbe holds, and very likely he is 



