Holtby — Human Bones from an Ancient Burial Ground in Dublin. 43 



Distal End of Femur. 



Four specimens showed this portion of the bone ; one of these was much 

 damaged. The latter was remarkable for an extremely narrow inter- 

 condyloid notch, such as I found in the Haddon collection of femora from the 

 Torres Straits, which were also very long and slender. In the specimens 

 here referred to, only the very distal end of the bone was preserved, and so a 

 definite statement cannot be made; but the impression given, derived from its 

 examination, leads me to believe that it is portion of a slender thigh-bone. 



In the other three cases the intercondyloid notch is broad, indeed it is 

 increased in size, and it seems that the greater breadth is due to more 

 definite curvature of the medial condyle, whereas the narrow notches appear 

 to be associated with marked bowing inwards of the lateral condyle, especially 

 at its anterior part. Large notches are also accompanied by exceedingly 

 strong impressions for the cruciate ligaments, and this is particularly so in 

 respect to the posterior band. 



The articular surface does not extend so far up the anterior aspect of the 

 shaft as is usual in relation to the lateral side. For this reason, the medial 

 and lateral segments of the femoral patellar area are more nearly on a level. 

 The facies semilunaris, for the patella in extreme flexion, was well defined, 

 and the indentations at the margins of the articular surface were sharply 

 shown. 



On the posterior and upper aspect of each medial condyle was a small 

 facet such as was described by Charles 1 as caused by extreme flexion of the 

 knee-joint. 



The popliteal index (Hepburn 2 ) in each of the three specimens conformed 

 to that found in modern bones. 



Tibiae. 



Only three showed portion of the upper extremity, and unfortunately in 

 each of these the articiilar surface is much damaged. 



There is in these bones no backward curvature of the shaft, such as has 

 been described by Collignon, 3 Fraipont/ and Thomson 5 as occurring in ancient 

 tibiae and indicating in them a less erect gait, with the angle between femur 

 and tibia intermediate between that found in man and the anthropoid apes. 

 This condition is said to be interchangeable with an increase of the convexity 



1 Charles, loc. cit. 



2 Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, vol. xxxi, 1897. 



3 Collignon, Revue d'Anthropologie de Paris, vol. ix, 1880. 



4 Fraipoint, Revue d'Anthropologie de Paris, vol. iii, 3rd series. 

 6 Thomson, Journal Anatomy and Physiology, vol. xxiii, 1889. 



