BODY OF THE HOUSE. 65 



The bones represented in the engraving are 

 those of the left hand ; and you look upon the 

 top, or backside of it. The foot is also in- 

 serted here, but has been described in another 

 place. See Chap. II. 



The whole hand and wrist contain twenty- 

 seven bones ; nineteen in the former, and eight 

 in the latter. The bones in the hand have a 

 general resemblance, though some are much 

 longer than others. The four longest, opposite 

 figure 1, support the palm of the hand, and are 

 joined at one end to the wrist bones, and at 

 the other to the first joint of the fingers. They 

 are called the metacarpus. 



The bones of the wrist are called the carpus. 

 They are situated between the ulna (5) and 

 radius (6) on the one side, and the metacarpal 

 bones and the first bone of the thumb on the 

 other. They are wedged together, like the 

 stones of a pavement, only not quite so firmly. 



The first four bones of the fingers, opposite 

 figure 2, are the longest. Those opposite 3 

 are shorter ; the last, or those marked 4, are 

 shorter still. The thumb has one bone less 

 than the fingers. All the joints of the hand 

 6* 



