Finger Prints

by Francis Galton

Digit.	Arches.		Loops.		Whorls.
	Right.	Left.	Right.	Left.	Right.	Left.
Fore-finger	17	17	53	53	30	28
Middle do.	7	8	78	76	15	16
Little do.	1	2	86	90	13	8
Thumb	3	5	53	65	44	30
Ring do.	2	3	53	66	45	31
Total 1000	30	35	323	350	147	113

The digits are seen to fall into two well-marked groups; the one including the fore, middle, and little fingers, the other including the thumb and ring-finger. As regards the first group, the frequency with which any pattern occurs in any named digit is statistically the same, whether that digit be on the right or on the left hand; as regards the second group, the frequency differs greatly in the two hands. But though in the first group the two fore-fingers, the two middle, and the two little fingers of the right hand are severally circumstanced alike in the frequency with which their various patterns occur, the difference between the frequency of the patterns on a fore, a middle, and a little finger, respectively, is very great.

In the second group, though the thumbs on opposite hands do not resemble each other in the statistical frequency of the A. L. W. patterns, nor do the ring-fingers, there is a great resemblance between the respective frequencies in the thumbs and ring-fingers; for instance, the Whorls on either of these fingers on the left hand are only two-thirds as common as those on the right. The figures in each line and in each column are consistent throughout in expressing these curious differences, which must therefore be accepted as facts, and not as statistical accidents, whatever may be their explanation.

One of the most noticeable peculiarities in Table I. is the much greater frequency of Arches on the fore-fingers than on any other of the four digits. It amounts to 17 per cent on the fore-fingers, while on the thumbs and on the remaining fingers the frequency diminishes (Table III.) in a ratio that roughly accords with the distance of each digit from the fore-finger.

Table III.

Percentage frequency of Arches.
Hand.	Thumb.	Fore-finger.	Middle finger.	Ring-finger.	Little finger.
Right	3	17	7	2	1
Left	5	17	8	3	4
Mean	4	17	7·5	2·5	2·5

The frequency of Loops (Table IV.) has two maxima; the principal one is on the little finger, the secondary on the middle finger.

Table IV.

Percentage frequency of Loops.
Hand.	Thumb.	Fore-finger.	Middle finger.	Ring-finger.	Little finger.
Right	53	53	78	66	86
Left	65	55	76	53	90
Mean	59	54	77	59·5	88