20 GENETIC STUDIES OF RABBITS AND RATS. 



are far from being precise and consequently correlations between 

 these measurements are unreliable. Yet such is Davenport's entire 

 material. He resolves the total stature (standing height) into four 

 elements, only two of which are capable of direct measurement, viz, 

 the "fibula" and the "torso." The first element of the total stature 

 is the "fibula," which is the "height of fibula head (attachment of 

 external lateral ligament) from the floor." The second element, 

 the "femur," is obtained by subtracting from the standing height, 

 first the "fibula," and then the "sitting height." The third element, 

 the "torso," is obtained by a measurement from chair-bottom to 

 upper end of sternum, and is likely to be vitiated (as is the sitting- 

 height) by amount of flesh or fat or clothing on buttocks. The 

 fourth element, the "head and neck," is arrived at by subtracting 

 "torso" from "sitting height." There are altogether too many 

 chances of error or inaccuracy in these measurements to make them 

 comparable in reliability with measurements made on the actual 

 skeletal elements of individuals. 



Davenport argues for the independent inheritance of the four 

 elements of stature on the ground that races and families have 

 characteristically different proportions of the total stature formed 

 by each of its elements. In support of this view he figures (from 

 "Martin, 1914") side by side photographs of a "Dinka negro" and a 

 "Chiriguan Indian." The enlargement of these pictures is arranged 

 so as to make the individuals of seemingly the same total height, 

 whereby their difference in proportions is obvious. The limbs of the 

 negro are seen to be relatively long, those of the Indian relatively 

 short. If, now, each is a fair representative of his race, we must 

 conclude that Dinka negroes inherit as a racial character limbs 

 relatively long, while Chiriguan Indians inherit as a racial character 

 limbs relatively short. But a comparison of the pictures shows also 

 that the Indian stands much nearer the observer than the negro, 

 as the size of his head, eyes, hands, and feet and the diameter of leg 

 and arm are much greater. It is his nearness to the observer that 

 makes him appear as tall as the negro in the picture. He is accord- 

 ingly of absolutely short stature, whereas the negro is of absolutely 

 tall stature. The absolutely tall individual (and race) accordingly 

 has relatively long limbs, the absolutely short individual (and race) 

 has relatively short limbs. Is this association accidental? If not, we 

 may be dealing here with one racial difference, not two. 



Tall stature and relatively long limbs may be due to one and the 

 same genetic cause, and not be independently inheritable. Daven- 

 port's own paper indicates that this is probably true. He repro- 

 duces another figure (fig. 8) from "Martin, 1914," in which it is 

 shown by diagrams that the proportions of the human body change 

 in the lifetime of the individual, the limbs becoming relatively longer 



