350 
A Study of the Hand 
If instead of considering the individual digits we consider mean variability of 
the individual bones we find : 
Right Hand 
Middle Phalanx 7-15 
Distal Phalanx 6-83 
Proximal Phalanx 6 01 
Metacarpal 5 '84 
Left Hand 
Middle Phalanx 7-24 
Distal Phalanx 6'54 
Proximal Phalanx 6 00 
Metacarpal 5'62 
The order is thus the same for both hands and the agreement between the two 
hands in each case fairly good. This may accordingly be taken to be the natural 
order of relative variability in the bones — the two larger bones being relatively 
less variable than the two smaller, but of the two smaller the lesser is the less 
variable. 
(4) We now pass to the subject of correlation, and will consider first the 
correlations of the metacarpal bones. We have the following results : 
TABLE II. 
Metacarpal Bones of Rigid Hand. 
45 Cases 
Rm.2 
Rm^ 
Rm^ 
1 
•813 + ^034 
•816 + ^034 
•731 + ^047 
•658 + ^057 
Rm^ 
•813 + -034 
1 
•943 + -012 
•914 + '017 
•858 + ^027 
Rm^ 
•816 + -034 
•943 + ^01 2 
1 
•946 + •on 
•887 + ^021 
Rm^ 
•731 + ^047 
•914 + ^017 
•946 + •Oil 
1 
•929 + ^014 
Rm^ 
•658 + ^057 
•858 + ^027 
•887 + -021 
•929 + ^014 
1 
TABLE III. 
Metacarpal Bones of Left Hand. 
45 Cases 
1 
•785 + ^039 
•791 + ^035 
•705 + -0.1 1 
■665 + ^056 
•785 + -039 
1 
•936 + -013 
•907 + -018 
•888 + ^021 
•791 ± ^035 
•936 + -013 
1 
•928 + -014 
■877 + •023 
•705 + •OS 1 
•907 + -018 
■928 + ^01 4 
1 
•947 + ^010 
•665 + •ose 
•888 + -021 
•877 + ^023 
•947 + •OlO 
1 
Now it will be seen at once that these are high correlations and we may deduce 
the following results : 
(a) Of the 10 coefficients of correlation of the metacarpal bones 7 are 
greater for those of the right hand than for those of the corresponding pair in the 
