102 
THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
the right tibia was 8 mm. longer than the left, in a Negro it was 5 mm. the longer, and 
in an Andamanese the left tibia was 6 mm. longer than the right. 
As the femur and tibia varied therefore, not unfrequently, in their maximum length in 
the opposite limbs of the same skeleton, it became a matter of interest to inquire if, in 
the limb where the femur was the longer, in that same limb the tibia was shorter than 
the corresponding bone in the opposite limb, so as in the erect posture to restore the 
balance between the two limbs and make their length uniform. In working out this 
question, I thought that more accurate results would be obtained if I did not take the 
maximum length of each bone, but measured the length of the femur in the oblique 
position, and that of the tibia between its condylar and astragaloid articular surfaces, as 
these dimensions more accurately expressed the length of the bones in their relation to 
the erect attitude, than did the maximum length, in which the malleolar process was 
included, and the femur was not inclined in its proper position. In several of the 
skeletons, from some defect or other, either in the femur or tibia of one of the limbs, the 
comparison could not be made, but there remained twenty-six skeletons of various races 
in which the comparative length of both these bones in opposite limbs was obtained. 
The dimensions are given in Table XIII. 
Table XIII. 
Australians. 
Oblique length of femur, .... 
Condylar-astragaloid length of tibia, 
Manly 
Cove. 
R. L. 
457 461 
372 374 
Riverina. 
R. L. 
492 491 
411 403 
Eucla, 
R. L. 
461 465 
382 380 
Perth. 
R. L. 
449 455 
375 377 
Queens- | 
land. 
R. L. 
485 485 
407 407 
Swan Hill. 
R. L. 
453 455 
385 383 
W. Vic- 
toria ? . 
R. L. 
402 415 
330 332 
Length of s^ft, 
Tibio-femoral Index,] .... 
829 835 
81 
903 894 
83-5 
843 845 
81-7 
824 832 
82-8 
892 892 
83-9 
838 838 
84-9 
732 747 
SO 
Oblique length of femur, .... 
Condylar-astragaloid length of tibia, 
Otago. 
R. L. 
449 456 
390 394 
Oahu A p . 
R. L. 
384 388 
322 324 
OahuB P. 
R. L. 
425 422 
354 355 
Bush. 
R. L. 
416 417 
328 325 
Andaman. 
R. L. 
386 392 
320 326 
Andaman. 
R. L. 
393 395 
325 325 
Andaman. 
R. L. 
362 363 
280 287 
Length of shaft, 
Tihio-femoral Index, .... 
839 850 
86 
706 712 
83 
779 777 
83 
744 742 
78-8 
706 718 
83 
718 720 
82 
642 650 
79 
Oblique length of femur, .... 
Condylar-astragaloid length of tibia. 
Negro. 
R. L. 
462 464 
405 404 
Negro. 
R. L. 
496 490 
407 408 
Negress. 
R. L. 
428 421 
343 338 
Sikh. 
R. L. 
495 494 
390 388 
Hindoo. 
R. L. 
504 504 
418 412 
Hindoo. 
R. L. 
451 458 
386 382 
Hindoo p. 
R. L. 
403 405 
335 336 
Length of shaft, 
Tibio-femoral Index, .... 
867 868 
81 
903 898 
82 
771 759 
80 
885 882 
78-8 
922 916 
82-9 
837 840 
83 
738 741 
82-9 
Oblique length of femur, .... 
Condylar-astragaloid length of tibia. 
Lapp. 
R. L. 
403 402 
295 297 
Lapp P. 
R. L. 
357 361 
280 282 
Esqui- 
maux. 
R. L. 
429 433 
368 370 
Esqui- 
maux P . 
R. L. 
418 422 
336 337 
Chinese. 
R. L. 
411 417 
319 320 
Length of shaft, 
Tibio-femoral Index, .... 
698 699 
73-8 
637 643 
78 
797 803 
85 
754 759 
79-8 
730 737 
76-7 
