10 B Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



In describing the different figures I have used the technical terms devised 

 by Drs. Haddon and Rivers.' 



"Terminology. — A string passed over a digit is termed a loqp. A 

 loop consists of two strings. Anatomically, anything on the thumb 

 aspect of the hand is termed "radial," and anything on the little- 

 finger side is called "ulnar," thus every loop is composed of a radial 

 string and an ulnar string. By employing the terms thumb, index, 

 middle-finger, ring-finger, little-finger, and right and left, it is possible 

 to designate any one of the twenty strings that may extend between 

 the two hands. 



A string lying across the front of the hand is a palmar string, and 

 one lying across the back of the hand is a dorsal string. 



Sometimes there are two loops on a digit, one of which is nearer 

 the finger-tip than the other. Anatomically, that which is nearer to 

 the point of attachment is ' 'proximal, ' ' that which is nearer the free end is 

 "distal." Thus, of two loops on a digit, the one which is nearer the hand 

 is the proximal loop, that which is nearer the tip of the digit is the distal 

 loop; similarly we can speak of a proximal string and a distal string. 



In all cases various parts of the string figures are transferred from 

 one digit or set of digits to another or others. This is done by inserting 

 a digit (or digits) into certain loops of the figure and then restoring 

 the digit (or digits) back to the original position, so that they bring 

 with it (or them) one string or both strings of the loop. This opera- 

 tion will be described as follows: "Pass the digit into such and such a 

 loop, take up such and such a string, and retmrn." In rare cases a 

 string is taken up between thumb and index. A digit may be inserted 

 into a loop from the proximal or distal side, and in passing to a given 

 loop the digit may pass to the distal or proximal side of other loops. 

 We use these expressions as a general rule instead of "over and under," 

 "above and below," because the applicability of the latter terms 

 depends on the way in which the figures are held. If the figures are 

 held horizontally, "over and above" will correspond as a general rule 

 to the distal side, while "under and below" will correspond to the 

 proximal side. In some cases when there is no possibility of con- 

 fusion, we have used the shorter terminology. 



A given string may be taken up by a digit so that it lies on the 

 front or palmar aspect of the finger, or so that it lies on the back or 

 dorsal aspect. In nearly all cases it will be found that when a string 

 is taken up by inserting the digit into the distal side of a loop, the 

 string will have been taken up by the palmar aspect, and that the 

 insertion into the proximal side of the loop involves taking up the 

 string by the dorsal aspect of the digit. 



Other operations involved are those of transferring strings from one 

 digit to another and dropping the strings from a given digit or digits. 



The manipulation consists of a series of movements, after each 

 of which the figure should be extended by drawing the hands apart 

 and separating the digits. In some cases in which this would inter- 

 fere with the formation of the figure, a special instruction will be 

 given that the figure is not to be extended. Usually it is advisable 

 to keep the loops as near the tips of the digits as possible. 



There are certain opening positions and movements which are 

 common to many figures. To save trouble these may receive con- 

 ventional names; the use of these will soon be apparent, but it is 

 better to repeat descriptions than to run any risk of obscurity. 



' Rivers, W. H. R., and Eaddon, A. C. A Method of Eecordiag String Figmes and Tricka. Man, II, 1902, p .147. 



