INTEROSSEOUS MUSCLES OF THE HUMAN HAND. 565 



sequence these heads stand out more distinctly, especially as their insertions are isolated 

 from, and not masked by fusion with, any other muscle, either abductor or adductor. 



6. Whenever true Adductor muscles are found, as in certain of the apes, they are 

 inserted in conjunction with those heads of the short flexors which are capable of supple- 

 menting this action. 



7. In the case of the human Pollex, which possesses the one true Adductor muscle 

 of Man's hand, not only is this muscle inserted in common with one head (the ulnar) 

 of the Flexor brevis pollicis, but in consequence that head is always obscured and in 

 many cases extinguished. 



Postscriptum. 



I have not yet made an exhaustive examination of the human foot with regard to 

 its intrinsic muscles in the light of the results obtained from the hand, but with due 

 allowance for the narrower and more crowded state of the intermetatarsal spaces, I have 

 no doubt the same conditions prevail there also. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE. 



Fig. 1. The Abductor stratum of muscles is shown from the dorsal aspect with special reference to the 



bipennate nature of the Dorsal Interossei. 

 Fig. 2. The Dorsal Interossei, according to current descriptions, are shown from the Palmar aspect. The 



Abductor pollicis and Abductor minimi digiti are partly figured. 

 Fig. 3. The Palmar Interossei of current descriptions. 

 Fig. 4. The series of muscles for which it is proposed to utilise the name Flexores breves digitorum. The 



divided muscles are the Abductor pollicis and Abductor minimi digiti. Part of the Opponens 



minimi digiti is also shown on the shaft of the 5th metacarpal bone. 



VOL. XXXVIII. PART III. (NO. 14.) 4 H 



