Long fingers will show that the subject is fond of minutiae and detail. If he be a soldier he will plan his campaigns with the utmost care, he will look after the equipment of his men, and will see that they are amply provided with proper food. Not a detail that can add to the efficiency of the service will be overlooked. He will be neat in his dress and require his soldiers to keep their equipments constantly bright; he will be suspicious of those with whom he deals, and does not implicitly trust anyone, therefore he himself sees that his instructions are carried out. The long-fingered Martian becomes a slower subject, one not moved to act under impulse, and who does not make rapid and impetuous dashes, but proceeds always with care and caution. His aggressiveness will not be so strong, for he will be particular that all the little things are attended to, and will thus lose part of the pushing qualities contributed by a strong Lower Mount, which does not generally stop to consider minutiae. Short fingers make the Martian a fiery, impetuous fellow, who dashes ahead without stopping to consider where he will come out, and with the short-fingered quickness in both thought and action he rushes pell-mell through the world, either achieving great success or constantly committing blunders.

With a big Lower Mount and very short fingers, he will see only the object he wishes to reach, and not the things which stand between. Impulse and quick thought are his guides, and a very aggressive person who is also thoughtless and careless of the feelings of others can do endless damage. The dash and push of such a Martian strike terror to more timid brethren, and thus he accomplishes his ends by very audacity. But there is always the danger that an opponent may be cool, calculating, and strong, and this combination can resist a daring charge and bring to grief the short-fingered Martian. The thumb will show what determination is back of the Martian. If he be a refined type, we need a refined thumb, which will make him rely more on tact than on brute force. There is generally found the thumb which shows muscular strength and robust energy. You do not often find the delicate, refined thumb, but will often see a broad first phalanx, or a paddle-shaped phalanx, with a waist-like second phalanx. These will be seen on high-grade Martians and will show great determination, coupled with tactful reasoning qualities, which will reduce the brutality of a big Lower Mount, but will not lessen the aggression, for it will operate with just as great strength of will, but governed by good reasoning power and tact.

Big long thumbs will give strength to the subject; small thumbs will make them sputter and "bluff," but they will back down if vigorously attacked. Pointed thumbs make the subject impressionable and weaken the type materially. Even a strong Lower Mount will be spoiled by a pointed thumb. Square or spatulate tips to the thumb give great common-sense, or great activity and originality to the will. They produce most determined subjects, and add great strength to the type. These subjects must always be coaxed; they can never be driven. The clubbed thumb belongs to the brutal Martian hand. Denominated the "murderer's thumb," and showing the brutal obstinacy that will kill from blind fury, we see that it is on the fighting type this thumb properly belongs. Always feel that the clubbed thumb, on a strongly Martian hand, hard and red, with short fingers and short first phalanges, will make the subject likely to give way to the first sudden fury that may seize him. Clubbed thumbs are found on all kinds of hands, telling their story of obstinacy and strong tendency to brutality, either hereditary or acquired, but in the Martian type they reach the highest danger-point, and must be given the most careful consideration.

The Head line, by its clearness, straightness, and even color, will be a great factor with the Martian type. With a subject who is likely to be inflammable, there is great need of self-control and good judgment. These qualities are abundantly supplied by a good Head line, and in the final summing up of your Martian type this test must be applied to see if they are present, and if in such degree that their full benefit will be assured. In handling this strong type always remember that he is a fighter, that he may fight physically or mentally, and that you must distinguish between aggression and resistance. With these ideas in mind, and the material in his hand to judge by, apply all the tests to him, in order to determine the degree of his Martian development and the forces back of him that will either add to or take away from his strength. After a careful study of this chapter I am sure no mistakes will be made with the Martian type.