THE EXTERNAL FORM OF ANTHROPOID APES. 21 



times nearly as far as the middle of the second 

 phalanx. This characteristic varies in different 

 individuals. At the point of union of the first 

 metatarsal bone with the hinder extremity of the 

 first phalanx of the great toe, there is a round pro- 

 jection on the inner side of the foot. The great 

 toe is very broad at its root, then becomes smaller, 

 and widens again into a broad fiual phalanx. With 

 its strong lateral ridges of skin, which cover the 

 sinews and cushions of fat, all this part of the foot 

 appears to be wide and flattened off from the back 

 to the sole. 



The second, third, fourth, and fifth toes are more 

 slender than the great toe. The second toe is in 

 most cases rather shorter than the third. The third 

 and fourth toes are almost of the same length, and 

 only a little longer than the second toe.* The fifth 

 toe is considerably shorter than the fourth. The 

 last phalanges of the toes taper in front, and are fur- 

 nished on their lower surface with long, laterally 

 compressed pads. The section of such a plialanx is 

 almost trapezoidal, with a long upper parallel side. 

 The upper part of the foot, although generally flat, 

 rises a little in the neighbourhood of the first meta- 

 tarsal bone, and slopes thence to its outer edge. 



The hair grows thickly on the back of the foot as 

 far as the extremity of the metatarsal bones, more 

 sparsely on the back of the toes. There are strongly 

 marked oblique furrows on this part of the foot, 

 especially on the joints, often combined with horny 



* Comp. Is. Geoflfr. Saint-Hilaire, table v. ; also Hartmann, Der 

 Gorilla, p. U, Anin 4. 



