FLEXURES OF THE PALM AND SOLE 



173 



5. 



6. 



A curving flexure surrounding the thenar eminence, 

 extending from the centre of the wrist along the palm 

 and terminating at the radial border. 

 Variable longitudinal and oblique flexures not specified, 

 which I have called secondary. 



Meaning. 



Whatever be the meaning and origin of these flexures they 

 are not mere folds such as one makes in a garment and leaves it so. 



Fig. 74. — Foot of loris. 



Fig. 75. — Foot of ring-tailed 

 lemur. 



Action, function and fitting of the structures of the hand and foot 

 are involved in their history. They may loosely be termed 

 " ergographs " without any reference to the exact measurement 

 of work done. No proper idea can be formed of them if the original 

 function and evolution of the walking-pads of earlier mammals 

 be omitted. If one goes back and back until one reaches some 

 lowly marsupial as a vulpine phalanger, or insectivore such as a 

 common hedgehog, one may even metaphorically see these animals 



