364 
ME. ST. GEOEGE MIYAET ON THE SKELETON OE THE PEIMATES. 
5. That not a dorsal, but a plantar flexion predominates in the tarso-metatarsal joint, 
and also * in the metatarso-phalangeal one. 
6. Finally, on account of the mode of articulation of the hallux with the ento- 
cuneiforme. 
Now, with regard to the plantar arch, it is, indeed, true that there is a certain 
difference between Man and Apes, owing to the hallux in the latter not being used as 
the fulcrum ; but the tarsal bones, apart from the metatarsals, form in all the Anthro- 
poidea an arch much as in Man, while in him, as in Apes, the fifth metatarsal takes no 
part in the arch, but is applied to the ground, as has been before noticed. The differ- 
ence in this respect is small, indeed, between Man and the Gorilla as compared with that 
existing between the latter and other forms of the order, such as Tarsius, while the carpus 
of Man presents nothing at all resembling the antero-posterior arch of the tarsus of 
Apes. 
The inclination of the upper surface of the astragalus very generally exists and has been 
described above, but it is difficult to see how this is any approximation to Man’s hand. 
As to the application of the heel to the ground, the difference is not between Man 
and the higher Apes, but between these and lower forms. 
The shortness of the tarsus, as compared with the metatarsus, will not serve ; for the 
proportion borne by the tarsus of the Gorilla to the metatarsus is overwhelmingly more 
like the proportion of the human foot than that of the homotypal parts of the human 
hand, the total length of the tarsus much exceeding that of the longest metatarsal, while 
in Galago and Tarsius the excess in length of the tarsus over the metatarsus is very far 
greater even than in the human structure. It is true that in none does the tarsus attain 
so great a length, as compared with the digits (whether with or without their metatarsals), 
as in Man, yet even in this respect the pes of the Gorilla and others far more nearly 
resembles the human foot than the human hand. 
The rotation of the tarsal joint is certainly more extensive in Apes than in Man ; but 
the shape of the joint closely resembles its homologue in Man’s foot, and widely differs 
from his intercarpal articulation. 
The convexity of the proximal articular surfaces of the metatarsals in the lower Apes 
does produce a sort of hinge-joint; but inasmuch as they are convex, they depart more 
from the structure of the proximal ends of the human metacarpals (some of which are 
more or less strongly concave) than from the flat proximal ends of the human metatarsals, 
while the highest Apes scarcely differ from Man in this respect. 
As to the “ sagittalen Durchschnitten,” I must avow that I have been unable to find 
any indication of the plantar convergence of such in any Anthropoidea. There are 
differences indeed from Man’s foot, — a lesser flattening beneath of the outermost meta- 
tarsals, and often a peronead bending of their distal ends, — but no approximation to the 
human hand. 
The absence of a ligamentous connexion between the heads of the first and second 
* P. 322, line 13 from the bottom. 
