monkey tribes, and the countenance of man in the grandeur of his aspect, or that of woman, in whom alone beauty resides, especially in the days of primitive innocence, when, amidst all the animals of Eden whom Adam had named, appeared

"Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall,
Godlike erect, with native honour clad,

In naked majesty seemed lords of all;
And worthy seemed, for in their looks divine

The image of their glorious Maker shone,
Truth, wisdom, sanetitude, severe and pure."

The quickness and skill with which animals select their food has suggested that they may do this by the exercise of a peculiar sense. Now it is remarkable that in the living man there is a small hole in the roof of the mouth which is closed by the membrane which lines it, but it may be distinctly seen in the skeleton, communicating with the under and fore part of the nostrils. In quadrupeds this passage is open during life, and is sometimes of considerable width. It has been found to lead to two

organs lying so concealed in a hollow groove within the bone, so as to secure them from injury, aud they receive a great number of nerves and blood vessels, resembling so far the organs of the senses. In some animals they are very large, and in monkeys, though very small, they may still be traced. Whatever may yet be discovered respecting them, their sensitive power may be inferred from their ample supply of nerves, while, that they have to do with taste and smell, is highly probable from the place they occupy.

We will now enumerate some of the other leading characteristics which separate man from the apes, and which "result from original formation, and are not liable to be weakened in any material degree, either, on the one hand, by a degradation of the human species, or, on the other hand, by the highest cultivation of which the anthropoid apes are susceptible."*

The shortness and comparative weakness of the lumbar regions, or loins, which in man are so strong that they have been known to bear, without serious injury, a load weighing more than five tons, and the position of the pelvis, as the bones are termed into which the thighs are articulated, namely, almost in a line with the spine, show that the semi-erect position is that which is the more easily maintained. In man, as is well known, the contrary is the case. The line of gravity of the spine falls perpendicularly on the sacrum, and passes through the acetabulum, or head of the thigh-bone, which forms the ball in the ball-and-socket joint by which the thigh rotates upon the pelvis, thus transmitting the weight directly to the head of the thigh-bones. With this perpendicular, the inclination of the pelvis forms an angle of 140° in the female, and 145° in the male.

The femur, or thigh-bone is, in man, the longest and strongest of all the bones. Its great length, in comparison with the other bones of the leg, is characteristic of the human skeleton. In consequence of this great comparative length, and the shortness of the arms, the ends of the fingers in man do not reach lower than the middle of the thigh-bone. In the chimpanzee the fingers reach down to the knee (see skeleton, p. 5); and in the orang, down to the ankle (see skeleton, p. 22). In man, there is a depression on the head of the thigh-bone, into which is implanted a triangular band of fibres, called the ligamentum teres, or round ligament. By its broad base it is implanted into the bottom of the cup-shaped cavity of the acetabulum. By thus binding the bone into its socket, it checks rotation outwards when the limb is bent, and mainly aids in giving to man his firm and stable posture. In the orang this ligament is absent; and there can be little doubt that this is one cause of the great vacillation observed in that ape when he attempts progression on his hinder legs. Dr. Abel, in his account of the capture of a very large orang in Sumatra, observes, "His motion on the ground was plainly not his natural mode of progression, for even when assisted by his hands or a stick, it was slow and vacillating: it was necessary to see him among trees, in order to estimate his agility and strength." Doubtless, then, this construction, which would unfit the orang for the habits of man, peculiarly fits him for his own haunts, by combining, as it were, the peculiar freedom of the shoulder-joint with the hand-like form of the foot.

Let us now consider the foot of the orang and chimpanzee, in which portions of their organisation they differ most from the human type. The os calcis, or bone of the heel, transmits, in man, the weight of the body to the ground, and forms a powerful lever for the muscles of the calf. The great projection and horizontal direction of the heel are peculiar to him, in adaptation to his erect posture. The bones which carry the toes, and form the tarsus, are so articulated with each other, and with the os calcis and astragalus, as to place the toes at a uniform distance from each other, flatly on the ground, so as to give to the human foot the graceful contour seen in the figure on p. 10. In the chimpanzee “the os calcis," says Professor Owen, "is relatively feeble as compared with man ;” in the orang it "does not project so far backwards as in the chimpanzee:" so that Lawrence aptly remarks, "This single bone is an infallible characteristic of man; and 'ex calce hominem' would probably be a safer rule than 'ex pede Herculem.'" We all know the relative size and position, with reference to its neighbours, of the great toe. In these apes it stands off from the others at an acute angle, forming, in fact, a hind thumb (see figure, p. 10); and though in the chimpanzee its small size is not so remarkable (see skeleton, p. 5), yet in the orang it does not extend beyond the middle of the preceding

* Professor Owen, on the Osteology of the Chimpanzee and Orung-Utan, in the "Transactions of the Zoological Society," f., p. 343-a paper to which we would refer those who wish fully to understand the subject.

toe (see skeleton, p. 22). However much certain French writers may try-by citing the example of peasants in the Landes of Aquitaine, who, by long practice in collecting the resin of the Pinus maritima, acquire a power of opposing the great toe to the others to invalidate the importance of this character as a distinguishing mark, yet there is a difficulty, unforeseen by them, which anatomy reveals to us. The muscle called flexor longus pollicis pedis terminates in man in a single tendon, whose force is concentrated on the great toe; in the orang the analogous muscle terminates in three tendons, which are inserted separately and exclusively in the three middle toes, obviously to enable them to grasp with greater force the boughs of trees. Again, all the toes are bent inwards in the apes, and their feet rest not on the sole, but on the outer edge.

Let us now examine the differences which may be observed in the arm and hand between the apes and man. In man the fore arm, composed of two bones, the radius and the ulna, is either shorter than or equal to the humerus. In the chimpanzee the fore arm is considerably longer than

ACC

the humerus; the radius and ulna are more curved than in man, and the space between them is, in consequence of their curves, much wider.

The hand of man consists of five bones, called metacarpal bones, because they immediately succeed the carpus, or wrist; these bones support the fingers, each of which has three bones, called phalanges, except the thumb, which has only two. When the hand is spread out, the thumb extends as far, or nearly as far, as the end of the first phalanx of the index finger. In the chimpanzee the thumb does not quite equal the metacarpal bone of the first finger in length, and is as lender and weak as it is short (see skeleton, p. 5). The same is the case in the orang. The metacarpal bones are chiefly remarkable for their length; the phalanges both for their length and their anterior curvature. The hand is thus admirably adapted for clasping the thick boughs of forest trees. Among the muscles of the hand in man, is a special muscle to extend and point the index finger. In the apes this muscle is only a portion of the common extensor muscle of the fingers. Consequently, the forefinger must want the characteristic movement by which we call attention to a subject.

Nor should we overlook another peculiarity. Were the tips of the fingers and the thumbs bony instead of being covered with flesh, many things we readily do would be absolutely impossible. We

now can take up what is small, soft, and round, as a millet seed, or even a particle of human hair. So exquisitely prehensile are the human fingers. The nails are often of special service; perhaps always in works of art which require nicety of execution. Their substance is just what is needed; they are easily kept at the precise length which answers every purpose; had they been placed on the tips of the fingers there would have been a loss of power, but, their position ensures their highest efficiency.

An interchange of power for velocity which takes place in the arm adapts the hand and fingers to a thousand arts, requiring quick or lively motions. In setting up the type of this page there have been movements on the part of the compositor of surprising rapidity to any ordinary observer; and the execution of performers on the piano-forte, as well as on many wind instruments, is often astonishing; these are among many instances of the advantage gained by this sacrifice of force for velocity of

movement.

The motions of the fingers do not result merely from the action of the large muscles which lie on the fore-arm: these are for the more powerful efforts; but in the palm of the hand there are small muscles which perform the finer motions, expanding the fingers, and moving them in every direction with quickness and delicacy. These minute muscles attached to the near extremities of the bones of the fingers, where they form the first joint, being inserted near the centre of motion, move the ends of the fingers with very great velocity. They give the hand the power of spinning, weaving, and engraving, and the quick motions of the fingers already referred to.

But there is another use for certain small muscles in the hand. When a sailor hangs by a rope and raises his whole body with one arm, what must be the pressure on the hand! It would be too great for the texture even of bones and tendons, and certainly for the blood-vessels and nerves, were not the palms of the hands, the inside of the fingers, and their tips, guarded with cushions. To add to this purely passive defence there is a muscle which runs across the palm, and more especially supports the cushion on the inner edge, which acts powerfully as we grasp, and which, raising the edge of the palm, hollows it, and forms the cup with which man refreshes himself as he takes up the water from the stream, at the margin of which he bends or kneels.

The more close and minute the examination the more wonderful will appear the mechanism of the human hand. It is a test of smoothness and roughness, fineness and coarseness, heat and cold, and other sensible qualities of matter, which it enables us to recognize from the nerves with which it is so abundantly supplied. But who shall enumerate the purposes to which it is adapted in the various regions and climates of the globe? It suffers, indeed, a loss of sensibility from years of toil, as the skin thickens and becomes hard and horny. What, however, would become of the labouring man were his hand delicate and soft as a woman's? Indescribable pain would then be his lot. But now he wields easily the axe and the spade, grasps firmly the handles of the plough, swings, as if it were a simple sling, the huge sledge hammer, and remains unscorched by the red-hot iron he fashions on the anvil, or by the molten metal he brings forth in a vessel from the burning fiery furnace.

The four-handed animals are so called from their generally possessing thumbs, or members opposable to the fingers of both the fore and hind limbs, which enables them to grasp any object firmly with either, and renders them expert climbers. The most casual stroller through our Zoological Gardens must be immediately struck with the surprising agility, the powerful leaps and swings, and the gliding ease, not to be surpassed, with which all these motions are performed; and an observer in their natural abodes will at once perceive that their habits are strictly arboreal, peculiarly adapted to the boundless forests of the tropics. They are, in fact, seldom seen at any distance from woods, which so richly clothe their native countries, and which alike supply them with food, and defend them, by their foliage, from the scorching heat.

During the middle period of the day, these forests are filled with animals, courting their grateful shade, silent and resting; and it is only in some deep glade, “afraid to glitter in the noontide beams," that the gambols of a monkey disturb the universal solitude. So soon, however, as the sun declines, and the evening breezes reduce the heat, then the inhabitants of these vast nurseries of life resume their wonted gambols, and none among them are more conspicuous than the monkey tribe.

The more timid catch the eye of the passer-by, but he marks an effort to conceal themselves; yet, as little heads protrude, and there is the gleam or the flash of bright searching eyes from behind the

thick boughs and foliage, he feels that curiosity almost overbalances instinctive fear. A shower of flowers, fruit, nuts, rotten branches, may remind him that others are more forward and daring, if he feels that at him some are discharged; while he cannot fail to be amused at the light and airy gambols of those who think themselves beyond the reach of danger, or at the grimaces, grotesque attitudes, and half threats of those in his immediate vicinity.

Gay describes two monkeys visiting Bartholomew Fair, with the sights and feats of a scene which has long since passed away :

"The tumbler whirls the flip-flap round;
With somersets he shakes the ground;
The cord beneath the dancer springs;
Aloft in air the vaulter swings;
Distorted now, now down depends,
Now through his twisted arms ascends.
The crowd with wonder and delight,
With clapping hands applaud the sight.
With smiles,' quoth Pug, 'if pranks like
these,

The giant Apes of reason please,
How would they wonder at our arts;
They must adore us for our parts.
High on the twig I've seen you cling;
Play, twist, and turn in airy ring:
How can these clumsy things, like me,
Fly with a bound from tree to tree?
But yet, by this applause, we find
These emulators of our kind
Discern our worth, our parts regard,
Who our mean critics thus reward.'
"Brother,' the grinning mate replies,
In this I grant that man is wise.
While good example they pursue,
We must allow some praise is due;

But when they stray beyond their guide,

I laugh to scorn the mimic pride.

For how fantastic is the sight,

To meet men always bolt upright,

Because we sometimes walk on two!

I hate the imitating crew!'"

The interval of activity is brief in a tropical forest; but a few morning and evening hours of a milder heat are sufficient to satisfy all their wants; the blaze of a vertical sun, or a short twilight, again obliges them to seek a shelter from its beams, or a place of rest and security from the prowlers whose turn it is now to seek for food..

There are, however, some tribes which are nocturnal in their habits, remaining entirely inactive during the day, coming forth at night, and making the forests resound with their yells and howlings. Of the Red Howler a traveller says: "Nothing can be more dreadful than its cries. While lying in your hammock in those gloomy and immeasurable wilds, you hear him howling at intervals from eleven o'clock at night till daybreak. You would suppose that half the wild beasts of the forest were collecting for the work of carnage. Now it is the tremendous roar of the jaguar, as he springs on his prey; now it changes to his terrible deep-toned growlings, as he is pressed on all sides by superior force; and now you hear his harsh dying moan beneath a mortal wound."