910 REPORT— 1892. 



no muscles of opposition, so that only two groups of muscles, viz. — flexors and 

 adductors — are concerned in producing the plantar grooves, which are there- 

 fore restricted to transverse and longitudinal or radiating grooves, with such 

 modifications of these as special circumstances may produce. Then there followed 

 a detailed description of the naked-eye characters and the plantar grooves of the 

 feet of the gibbon, orang, chimpanzee, gorilla, and man. The last was discussed, 

 first, in reference to the foot of the newborn infant ; second, in reference to the 

 foot of the Australian aboriginal ; and third, in reference to the foot of civilised 

 man. 



In all the apes and in the foot of the newborn infant it was shown that the 

 same arrangement of transverse and longitudinal lines prevailed, subject to such 

 modifying causes as the length of metatarsal bones, the amount of web between 

 individual digits, the size of the hallux, and the angle at which it springs from the 

 inner border of the foot. In the apes the flexion lines of the hallux and sole of 

 the foot are distinct from each other, and it is only in the case of man, after his 

 great toe has become parallel to the other digits, that these lines become to a 

 certain extent blended. Of adduction lines, i.e., longitudinal or radiating, the new- 

 born human infant shows distinctly the one which indicates adduction of the 

 hallux. 



After the foot has become chiefly an organ of support and locomotion the 

 character of the grooves undergoes considerable change. This may be seen clearly 

 in the foot of the Australian aboriginal, where the primitive and original grooves 

 are smoothed out, while a new set makes its appearance. These are hnes to 

 express flexion, and are represented by two or three transverse lines between the 

 ball of the heel and ball of the great toe. Adduction is also indicated by an 

 indefinite mesial line of small dimensions. In the foot of civilised man the use of 

 boots has greatly restricted the freedom of movement, and consequently the lines 

 are still more indefinite, although they conform to the plan laid down. 



6. On the Contemporaneity/ of Man and the Moa. By H. 0. Forbes. 



7. A Discussion on Human Osteometry was opened hy Dr. J. G. Gaeson. 



Sir Wm. Turner explained a method, which he had devised, of taking the 

 capacity of crania by the use of shot poured into the cavity of the skull through a 

 funnel, the spout of which was two centimetres long and two centimetres wide. The 

 details of the method are given in his ' Memoir on Human Crania in the Reports 

 of H.M.S. Challenger,^ Part XXIX. It was claimed for the method that it gave the 

 actual capacity, and did not overmeasure it, as is the case with Broca's method. 

 A demonstration of the method was given on a skull, the exact cubic capacity of 

 which had been previously determined by means of water. 



TUESDAY, AUGUST 9. 



The following Papers were read : — 



1. Exhibition of Composite Photographs of United States Soldiers, 

 By Dr. J. G. Gaeson. 



2. Ohservations as to Physical Deviations from the Normal as seen among 

 50,000 Children. By Francis Waener, M.D. 



Taking all cases of deviation from normal development, the percentage on the 

 50,000 children is for boys 13 4, for girls 9-6. It is noteworthy that the distribution 



