ANIMAL MECHANICS. 



93 



Flexor Tendons of the Foot in Asiatic and A frican Monkeys. 



In these monkeys, the flexor 

 hallucis supplies part of the tendon 

 of the first toe, and the whole ten- 

 dons of the third and fourth toes ; 

 while the flexor digitorum longus 

 supplies the remainder of the ten- 

 don of the first toe, and the whole 

 tendons of the second and fifth 

 toes. This arrangement produces 

 a remarkable concurrence of ac- 

 tion in the following combinations 

 of toes : — 



a. First 



b. First 



Third 

 Second 



Fourth. 

 Fifth. 



I have often seen the Rhesus 

 Macaque avail himself of the first 

 of these combinations to catch a 

 flea, with a dexterity that showed 

 how superior his foot is, considered as a prehensile organ, 

 when compared with that of Man. 



The relative strengths of the several tendons in the foot 

 of the Macacus nemestrinus, measured by the weights of equal 

 lengths, were found to be as follows : — 



Macacus Nemestrinus. 



i. Flexor hallucis longus, . . 54 per cent 

 * Flexor digitorum longus, . 44 ,, 



3. Accessorius, $x\, .... 2 



Total, 



