Highest Types of Human Form. 75 



greater proportional growth of the legs than of other parts of the 

 body, and these proportions fairly well indicate the direction of 

 development £i-om ancient to modern forms, as regard the 

 dunensions of the body, not the head as before observed. 



Typical Egyptian hand (Barneses I., B.C. 1170), showing long and 

 large fourth finger. (Brit. Museum). 



As regards the hands, these were formerly proportionally 

 larger, and, if we may infer fi-om Egyptian sculptures, flatter, 

 the thumb being less opposable. The little finger was also 

 larger and longer. In many of the Egyptian figures the fingers 

 are nearly of one length. In a skeleton mummy hand in the 

 British Museum the second and third fingers measure about 

 3J inches. The fore-finger and little finger, which are of about 

 equal length, 'd\ inches, as nearly as I could measure though the 

 glass case. 



The feet were generally longer and flatter, the big toe never 

 being the longest in the early works and scarcely above the 

 others in size. This is no doubt partly due to pressure in boots 

 but the development of the great toe has possibly been constant, 

 and due to walking in an erect attitude. The modern toe is little 

 over half the average length of the fingers. In Egyptian 

 figures the toes approach more nearly the length of the fingers, 

 as in the Quadrumana. In the statue of Eameses II., which is 

 in the best style of Egyptian art, the second or longest toe 

 measures 2J inches, the longest finger measures 2i inches. It 

 is possible that the great toe, of which we have now lost the use, 

 was at one period opposable in a certain degree as the thumb is, 

 as we find in Egyptian monuments mechanics holding wood, 

 leather, &c., between the first and second toe, for instance ; a 



^^^ 



Currier (Thebes, B.C. 1300), showing sitting position for work and nse of 

 toes. The engraver has cut tlie first toe of right foot much too thick. 



