350 G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



HAGEN [1898, 91] mentions of the Jabim a relative length of the foot of 16.9, which 

 indeed may be called extraordinarily long [1905, 22]; of the same tribe SCHELLONG [1891, 171] 

 reports feet which he calls long and broad, like those of the Kai (length-breadth index between 

 38 and 42), but with a relative length that is little greater than that of the European, given 

 as 15.4 (Quetelet [1848, 593]), 15.1 (Fritsch [1899, 162]) and 15.69 (Manouvrier 

 [1902, 70]). Moreover, D'Albertis [1877, 218; 1880, II, 188] also mentions feet of between 

 15.0 and 16. 1 relative length, whilst other travellers stated that the feet are by no means 

 long (MEVER [1874, 97]) and sometimes, as also shown in the above table, may be called 

 short (De CLERCQ [1889b, 1669]). Those of the Sentâni people, living inland, are relatively 

 longer and broader and hâve a higher index. The female foot présents no constant diffé- 

 rences from the maie foot, either in relative length or breadth; the feet of the Sentâni boys 

 are of greater relative length and breadth, but the index has changed little. In a few 

 instances when I measured both feet of the same individual, the left turned out to be longer 

 and narrower than the right, a différence which MACLAY [1873a, 2 43] attributes to unequal use. 



In 3 out of 45 cases the first and second toes were of equal projection, in 12 

 other cases (2j°j ; according to SCHELLONG [1891, 167] "bei einer grosseren Anzahl von Fùssen") 

 there was an excess of some m. m. in the projection of the second toe. Generally there 

 is a large interstitium between the first and second toes, which NlEUWENHUIS — K.OHLBRUGGE 

 [1903, 8] also noted with the Dajaks, and RUELLE [1904, 561] with the Negroes; also there 

 is often a space between the others, especially between the 3 rd and 4 th , the latter and the 

 5'h sometimes lying slightly on their side. The first interstitium MACLAY found to be 

 2 — 2.5 m. m., I found frequently 5 — 7, with N°. 28 even + 12 m. m.. It did not strike me 

 that the space was narrower with the left foot (see also SCHELLONG [1S91, 216, N°. 11]), 

 because of the less fréquent use of it, as MACLAY supposes. On the anthropological plates 

 it may be seen that in N° s . 8, 30, 35, 41 and in fig. 2 of PL IL both feet are the same 

 in this respect, whilst in N°\ 43 and 46 the left foot has the largest first interstitium. 

 Objects can be grasped by adduction of the first toe (see also MACLAY 1. c, COMRIE [1877, 

 104], SCHELLONG [1891, 167], etc.) against the second, but also by a strong plantar flexion, 

 the object being held between the toes and the bail of the foot (see also MEYER [1874, 97]). 

 No less than D'Albertis [1880, 1, 98] did I envy the Papuans their feet when unbeaten tracks, 

 softened by rains, had to be scaled ; the soles of their feet adapt themselves to the ground 

 and to prevent slipping they dig their toes into the soil. On flat ground the highly movable 

 toes, when the leg is swung forward, are curved upwards to escape injury against irregularities 

 of the ground (see e. g. Fritsch [1899, PL XIX and XX, a and b]); as soon as the foot 

 finds support and takes the weight of the body the toes are spread out as in fig. 9 of 

 PL XXX, and still more when the foot, now behind, has to push the body forward ; for 

 when the supporting plane is shortened by the leverage of the heel, what is lost in length 

 is gained in breadth by the spreading of the toes. Thus the Papuans walked with ease on 

 marshy soil where we, Europeans, sank at each step. Owing to the elasticity of the ligatures 

 the tarsus and metatarsus will also increase in width by vertical pressure, for which reason 

 footprints give the impression of flat feet. Thus COMRIE Le. simply states: "the feet are 

 flat". In 45 schedules I found 6 cases, but many instances in which the tuberositas ossis 

 navicularis, resembling a lowered, broadened internai malleolus, caused a convex bend in the 



