The question of the possibility of judging of the character and disposition of a man or woman by the form and proportions of the hand or the foot is altogether distinct from that of the reality of "divination" of future events by applying a system of rules to the interpretation of the lines and swellings of the palmar surface. Persons of quick perception are in the habit of forming judgments as to character from a first impression of the face, expression, voice, and movements of another individual. Often such judgments are erroneous, and I do not know that they have ever been proved by a large series of experiments to be more frequently right than wrong. But it is possible that correct indications may sometimes be thus obtained. Many people think that they can form more or less correct judgments as to certain mental characteristics by observing the shape and play of the hand and fingers or of the foot. There may be such a correlation of the gesture and form of hands or feet with some mental qualities, but obviously this has nothing to do with palmistry. It has never been really proved that persons of what is called "good birth" have smaller hands and feet than persons of "low birth," although it is often assumed that they have. And it has never been shown why small hands and feet should go with "good birth," supposing that they do so, or why some people have large and some small extremities. The possible effect of certain manual occupations in enlarging the hands of an individual is, of course, excluded; the question raised is as to naturally or hereditarily small hands and feet. CHAPTER XXXVIII TOADS FOUND LIVING IN STONE IT is quite true that one should not refuse to entertain the possibility of something almost incredible taking place, simply because it is highly improbable that it has taken place. Also it is important that one should not accept and believe in the reality of the marvellous occurrence, merely because a decent sort of person has asserted that he has witnessed it and is satisfied of its reality. In a previous chapter (p. 117) we have seen how the story of the Tree goose and the hatching of geese from Barnacles was supported by respectable but incompetent witnesses such as Gerard, the herbalist, and Sir Robert Moray, the first president of the Royal Society. There are many equally baseless fancies which are attested by "respectable" witnesses at the present day.