352 
A Study of the Hand 
(a) In seven cases out of ten the right hand is more highly correlated than 
the left, but the differences are again not markedly significant. 
(b) A proximal phalanx has always more correlation with a second of the 
same series than with any other from which it is separated by the second. 
There is no exception to this rule in the left hand. There are non-significant 
exceptions in the case of the correlation of the right-hand index finger proximal 
phalanx with those of the ling and index fingers. There is an apparently 
significant exception in the case of the right-hand thumb and little finger great 
phalanges. But this is not confirmed in the case of the left hand. The little 
finger does, however, show a tendency to disregard the " rule of neighbourhood " 
and we hope to return to this point when dealing with the male hand. 
Taken as a whole, however, the principle (6) above enunciated for metacarpal 
bones and proximal phalanges may be considered as well verified. This is in good 
agreement with the result obtained for the first joints of the hands which consist 
of the proximal phalanx, the head of the metacarpal bone, together with certain 
soft parts*. We shall see that it is less generally true for the middle and 
distal phalanges. 
The middle phalanges give the following correlations : 
TABLE VI. 
Middle Phalanx. Riglit Hand. 
46 Cases 
Rs, 
Rs, 
Rh 
1 
■900+ -019 
•910 + -017 
•760 + -042 
•900 ± •Gig 
1 
•937 + -012 
•754 + ^043 
•910 + -017 
•937 ± ^012 
1 
•840 + ^029 
■760 + ^042 
■754 + ^043 
■840+ -029 
1 
TABLE VIL 
Middle Phalanx. Left Hand. 
47 Cases 
Ls.2 
Ls^ 
1 
•924 + ^014 
•930+ 013 
•823 + -032 
•924+ -014 
1 
•965 ±-007 
■764 + ^041 
•930+ 013 
■965 + -007 
1 
■857 + -026 
•823 + -032 
•764 + ^041 
•857 + ^026 
1 
The correlations here are on the whole less than for the larger bones, but are 
still very high. In every case the left-hand middle phalanges are more highly 
correlated than the right-hand corresponding pairs. 
* Whiteley and Pearson : loc. cit. p. 131. 
