126 LABORATORY MANUAL OF ANTHROPOMETRY 



differences that have been in all probability brought about by habitual 

 posture or habit, such as an habitual squatting as compared with sitting 

 in chairs or upon stools. A few significant results as interesting in com- 

 parisons, may be given here. 



Platymeric index (No. 3). Normal femora are always either platy- or 

 eury-meric. Stenomeric femora seem always to be pathological. Among 

 extremely platymeric peoples may be reckoned the Maori (63.6) the 

 Hawaiians (65.4) and the Fuegians (66.9). The Hindu (72.6) and the 

 Japanese (75.5) are moderately platymeric. The native Australians 

 (82.2) and the Swiss (84.6) are almost eury-meric; and the Negroes 

 (85.3), the French (88.2), and the Eskimo (88.3), are quite so. Ancient 

 British skeletons, excavated in the neighborhood of the Roman wall, 

 are very platymeric (67.7), while the modern British are more nearly 

 eurymeric, with an average index of 81.8. This may suggest a partial 

 substitution of race, or may be the result of a cultural change in the 

 manner of resting, chairs vs. squatting. 



Pilastric index (No. 4) . This index is that of the two diameters of the 

 bone, taken in the middle of the shaft, and is thus named from its in- 

 clusion of the longitudinal ridge or pilaster, which furnishes an attachment 

 for certain of the large thigh muscles. This index is open to the objection 

 that it is modified by the degree of development of the ridge, yet it shows 

 considerable differences between modern man and the large apes, and 

 may be considered of value. In general, in man, the shaft is in this 

 region nearly circular, taken without the pilaster, and may thus be pre- 

 sumed to furnish an index of about 100. This the pilaster itself increases 

 so that in all men an index of some over 100 is to be expected. The 

 following indices have been found: 



Australians 122.2 



Veddah 122.1 



Eskimo 118.4 



Malay 114.7 



N. Amer. Indians 112.4 



Cro-Magnon 111.6 



Maori. . 110.1 



Negroes 108.0 



French 107.8 



South Germans 105.3 



Fuegians 103.5 



Japanese 100.0 



Neandertal species (aver.) 99.0 



Gorilla (5 femora; aver.) 78.0 



Neck-length index (No. 8). In the exact form advised here there 

 do not seem to be available figures as yet, but for two measurements very 

 similar to those involved certain interesting figures are known. In 



