n MAN AND APES: HAND AND FOOT 121 



The skeleton of the hand exhibits, in the region 

 which we term the wrist, and which is technically 

 called the carpus two rows of closely fitted 

 polygonal bones, four in each row, which are 

 tolerably equal in size. The bones of the first 

 row with the bones of the forearm, form the wrist 

 joint, and are arranged side by side, no one greatly 

 exceeding or overlapping the rest. 



Three of the bones of the second row of the 

 carpus bear the four long bones which support the 

 palm of the hand. The fifth bone of the same 

 character is articulated in a much more free and 

 moveable manner than the others, with its carpal 

 bone, and forms the base of the thumb. These 

 are called metacarpal bones, and they carry the 

 phalanges, or bones of the digits, of which there 

 are two in the thumb, and three in each of the 

 fingers. 



The skeleton of the foot is very like that of the 

 hand in some respects. Thus there are three 

 phalanges in each of the lesser toes, and only two 

 in the great toe, which answers to the thumb. 

 There is a long bone, termed metatarsal, answering 

 to the metacarpal, for each digit ; and the tarsus 

 which corresponds with the carpus, presents four 

 short polygonal bones in a row, which correspond 

 very closely with the four carpal bones of the 

 second row of the hand. In other respects the 

 foot differs very widely from the hand. Thus the 

 great toe is the longest digit but one ; and its 



