RECREATIONS 450 but, as a rule, are not quarrelsome, having too great a regard for peace and order. The Inventive Hand The Spatulate.—So called because the palm as well as the fingers resemble a spatula — that is, the palm is either unusually wide at the wrist or at the base of the fingers. This hand gives, as a rule, a love of independ- ence and energy ; it gives originality of ideas, and a rest- less spirit. Its owners are never content to take other people's ideas and opinions, but Fig. 4.— The Philosophic Hand. muSt alwayS form This is the hand common among their OWn. InVCntorS Orientals, among people ever '-^^'^^ '-' seeking wisdom, and who delight and great travellers in the mysterious and in studying crenerallv pOSSCSS mankind. y, . , -^ 1 u „j this shaped hand. The Philosophic hand is usually long and angular in shape, the joints of the fingers being developed ; the fingers are bony and the nails long. Its owners are always seeking wisdom in some form or another, they delight in study- ing mankind, and invariably know every little peculiar- ity . They arc ambitious, but chiefly in being distinct from other people, and are fond of mystery. Deep and careful thinkers, they are silent and secretive, and have the power Fig. 5.- -The Conic Hand. This, of intcnsc paticncc. sometimes called the Hand of Tllis type of hand Impulse, betokens a generous, • lar^elv found in artistic, sympathetic nature, and ^ . ^^I^b^^y iJJUllU lU belongs to the person whose Oriental natlOnS. judgments are made by intuition J^iQ CoillC hand is and mstuict. i- 1 , , slightly tapering in shape, fingers full at the base, slightly pointed towards the tips. Often called the Hand of Impulse. Generous and sympathetic, fairly quick-tempered, are its possessors. Much influenced by their surroundings ; artistic. A Ra ^3 m !» 1
- . s :
{ but often not possessing enough patience to carry out their ideas. Their judgments are greatly made by intuition and instinct. The Poetic Hand The Psychic type is very rarely found pure. The shape is long and slender, the palm tapering, the fingers the same, with pointed tips. It represents a beautiful type, but is the most unpractical and un- business-like of all. It gives inspiration, much imagination, and beautiful ideas, also extreme sensi- tivene ss. Very impressionable, and fond of all beautiful things in life, easily Fig. 6.— The P.sychic Hand. affected by joy and '^'"^ 'y?f P*" ^^"^ '^ 7f 'y ^'^""^ a,iivvvi,vvj. J J J pure. It IS possessed by people grief, such types who are essentially unpractical are almost invariably ^nd unbusinesslike. crushed by the practical types ; for since they seldom accomplish anything, there seems little room for them in life. The Versatile Hand The Mixed type partakes of two or more of the former types ; the palm itself may be of the square order, and one or more of the fingers square, conic, spatulate, or even pointed. It is the most versatile of them all, and can do something of everything ; but, as a rule, does not accomplish much, unless its owners have the determina- tion to take up one particular thing and stick to it. These people can adapt themselves to any -s^he " most Versatile of hands ; circumstances, and its possessor is, as a rule, a »^,,^V, Mj-aA „o "Jack of all trades, and a master are much liked as ^J ^^,^^ „ ^^^ j, ^[.^^ liked as a companions. companion. 7}? be continued. Fig. 7.— The Mixed Type. This FIMGEIRc^FIFLIHTS J T is of interest to note the important part played by the hand in the modern system for the detection of criminals originated by M. Bertillon, who aimed at establishing the identity of individuals by careful tabulation and classification of data ob- tained by physical measurements and thumb and finger prints. It has been established beyond doubt that the finger-prints of no two individuals are exactly alike. More- over, nothing can permanently alter the palmar surface of the terminal phalanges of the digits, so that once a finger-print is registered, its owner can at all future times be identified. Finger-prints, obtained by various means — such as first pressing the finger upon an ink-pad, and then transferring it to white pap^r — form most valuable clues in identifying susp3cts. A photograph may deceive, disguise, may defy detection, tim3 or illnsss abat the wrong-doer, but the records mads by his own fingers remain the sam3, and are often the surest means of bringing their owner to the doom he might otherwis3 have escaped.
