When the triangular plot happens not to be visible, owing to the print
failing to include it, which is often the case when the finger is not
rolled, as is well shown in the prints of my own ten digits on the
title-page, the trend of the ridges so far as they are seen, usually
enables a practised eye to roughly estimate its true position. By means of
this guidance an approximate, but fairly correct, outline can be drawn.
When the habit of judging patterns by their outlines has become familiar,
the eye will trace them for itself without caring to draw them, and will
prefer an unoutlined pattern to work upon, but even then it is essential
now and then to follow the outline with a fine point, say that of a
penknife or a dry pen.
In selecting standard forms of patterns for the convenience of
description, we must be content to disregard a great many of the more
obvious characteristics. For instance, the size of generally similar
patterns in Fig. 10 will be found to vary greatly, but the words large,
medium, or small may be applied to any pattern, so there is no necessity
to draw a standard outline for each size. Similarly as regards the inwards
or outwards slope of patterns, it is needless to print here a separate
standard outline for either slope, and equally unnecessary to print
outlines in duplicate, with reversed titles, for the right and left hands
respectively. The phrase "a simple spiral" conveys a well-defined general
idea, but there are four concrete forms of it (see bottom row of Plate 11,
Fig. 17, _oj_, _jo_, _ij_, _ji_) which admit of being verbally
distinguished. Again the internal proportions of any pattern, say those of
simple spirals, may vary greatly without affecting the fact of their being
simple spirals. They may be wide or narrow at their mouths, they may be
twisted up into a point (Plate 8, Fig. 14, ~52~), or they may run in broad
curls of uniform width (Fig. 14, ~51~, ~54~). Perhaps the best general
rule in selecting standard outlines, is to limit them to such as cannot be
turned into any other by viewing them in an altered aspect, as upside down
or from the back, or by magnifying or deforming them, whether it be
through stretching, shrinking, or puckering any part of them. Subject to
this general rule and to further and more particular descriptions, the
sets (Plates 7 and 8, Figs. 11, 12, 13) will be found to give considerable
help in naming the usual patterns.
[Illustration: PLATE 7.
FIG. 11. ARCHES.
FIG. 12. LOOPS.]
[Illustration: PLATE 8.
FIG. 13. WHORLS. CORES TO LOOPS.
FIG. 14. Rods:--their envelopes are indicated by dots. Staples:--their
envelopes are indicated by dots. Envelopes whether to Rods or
Staples:--here staples only are dotted.
FIG. 15. CORES TO WHORLS.]
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