76 Mr. H. S. Eaton, 



currier dressing one end of a strap with his two hands, which is 

 held by his toes at the other end. The Japanese and some 

 Indians appear to have retained the use of the toes. Mechanical 

 trades, at which it is now customary to work in a standing atti- 

 tude, were formerly worked at in a sitting, squatting, or kneeling 

 attitude, such as carpenters, cabinet-makers, masons, rope- 

 makers, &c., as we find these trades depicted on the walls in 

 Thebes. =i= So that we may assume that when the foot was more 

 hand-like, and the leg more arm-like, the foot could be used 

 as a hand, and the leg and foot were less developed for standing 

 and walking, and that the sitting position was less fatiguing, 

 particularly as a working position. Progressive development 

 appears to have so far differentiated these members in our higher 

 types that the hand has become perfect for work only, and the 

 foot and leg have been developed for walking and standing only. 

 The separate toes in highly civilized races are now useless, and 

 will possibly in time be absorbed. 



I have made these observations in what time I could spare on 

 the subject, but I have no doubt they would bear some revision 

 under more extended observation. The perfect development of 

 the human being is under constant checks, which retard it 

 in various directions. His development is also influenced by 

 his average employment. Perfect development is only com- 

 patible with sufficient supply of nutritious food, and well-fed 

 people are on an average taller. On the other hand, the 

 selection of the tallest men for soldiers, who therefore do not 

 enter domestic life to reproduce their forms, and are more 

 exposed to danger and death, lowers the general average stature 

 of the future race. The hand being used for refined operations, 

 depends on a perfect thumb and forefinger ; and as a prehensile 

 hand is little used in civilized society, so the little finger 

 especially diminishes. But the modern general practice of piano 

 music may again develop this finger. 



58. — Eeport of the Meteorological Committee on the Tem- 

 perature AND the EaINFALL OF THE CrOYDON DiSTRICT, 

 FOR THE FIVE YEARS 1881-85. 



By Henry Storks Eaton, M.A., F.E.Met. Soc, Secretary to 

 the Committee. 



In the Report of the Meteorological Sub-Committee, presented 

 at the Annual Meeting of the Club on the 10th of January, 

 1885, an expectation was held out that the committee might ere 



* Kings and important persons were always in ancient statues sculptured 

 sitting. 



