22 



THE DESCENT OF MAN. 



PaPwT I. 



which from inhabiting oceanic islands have not been 

 exposed to the attacks of beasts of prey, and have con- 

 sequently lost the power of using their wings for flight. 

 The celebrated sculptor, Mr. Woolner, informs me of 

 one little peculiarity in the external ear, which he has 

 often observed both in men and women, and of which 

 he perceived the full signification. His attention was 

 first called to the subject whilst at work on his figure 

 of Puck, to which he had given pointed ears. He was 

 thus led to examine the ears of various monkeys, and 

 subsequently more carefully those of man. The pecu- 

 liarity consists in a little blunt point, projecting from 

 the inwardly folded margin, or helix. Mr. Woolner 

 made an exact model of one such case, and has sent 



me the accompanying drawing. 

 (Fig. 2.) These points not only 

 project inwards, but often a little 

 outwards, so that they are visible 

 when the head is viewed from di- 

 rectly in front or behind. They 

 are variable in size and some- 

 what in position, standing either 

 a little higher or lower ; and they 

 sometimes occur on one ear and 

 not on the other. Now the mean- 

 ing of these projections is not, 

 I think, doubtful; but it may 

 be thought that they offer too 

 trifling a character to be worth notice. This thought, 

 however, is as false as it is natural. Every character, 

 however slight, must be the result of some definite 

 cause ; and if it occurs in many individuals deserves 

 consideration. The helix obviously consists of the ex- 

 treme margin of the ear folded inwards ; and this fold- 

 ing appears to be in some manner connected with the 



Fig. 2. Human Ear, modelled 

 and drawn by Mr. Woolner. 



a. The projecting point. 



