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passed before the grasp relaxed, and in three or four nearly a 
minute.” The strength increased with age up to two or three 
weeks, one infant of the latter age hung on “for two minutes, 
thirty-five seconds.” He further remarks that “invariably the 
thighs are bent at right-angles to the body.” * 
The difficulty of opening an infant’s closed hands is a 
matter of common knowledge; and, in the light of the above 
detailed experiments, the account of the infant Hercules 
strangling the two serpents sent to kill him in his cradle is 
not so mythical as might be supposed. It is noticeable than in 
early infancy the baby always keeps its hands either very tight- 
ly clasped with the thumb inside, or half-closed in the form of a 
broad hook. Its fingers are nearly all of the same length, the 
length of the hand is short compared to the breadth—in fact 
the length of the middle finger is equal to the width across the 
knuckles, while in an adult it equals half as much again. 
Further, the power which an infant has over its hand and fingers 
is extremely small, so far as flexibility is concerned. It cannot 
flatten its hand out, but can only open it to a semi-clasped 
position; it appears to have no ability to spread out its 
fingers or to bend its wrist to any degree. Itis very awkward 
in moving its arms; and has so little power to guide them 
that it is unable to put its food directly into its mouth: it first 
hits itself in the eye and then turns the head to bring the 
mouth up to the hand. 
Turning to the feet and legs, which are, so far as size is 
concerned, really in what might be called an undeveloped 
condition, it is remarkable to find that with them the infant 
can perform movements of which an adult is practically incap- 
able. In fact, the infant has more power over the muscles of 
its toes and feet, and greater flexibility in its joints than an 
adult, yet it is unable to support even part of its weight on its 
legs. Without moving any other part of its legs the baby can 
so twist its foot that the outer edge shall be in a direct line, 
* The whole article is worth reading, but the facts in connection with infants 
acrobatic performances are extremely curious. 
