On Dwarfs and Giants, 143 



which characterise them. Like men of small stature, they are 

 generally irascible, hvely, and impetuous, of which the following 

 anecdote is an instance. A lady of the Court of Stanislaus was 

 caressing a dog in the presence of Bebe ; in a fit of frenzy he 

 snatched it from her, and threw the animal over the window, 

 crying out, " Why do you like it better than me P'' The great- 

 er number of dwarfs have short legs, a large head, a disagree- 

 able countenance, and a ricketty constitution. They are incapa- 

 ble of generating, either with those of their own size, or indivi- 

 duals of an ordinary stature. They are very often the offspring 

 of mothers well shaped, of lofty stature, and very prolific. In 

 the greatest number of instances, it has been observed that the 

 same mother has produced two or more dwarfs. They are not 

 more rare in nations of lofty stature, or of one sex, more than 

 another. Dwarfishness with regard to age may present three 

 cases. In the first, the individual exhibits at birth, or during in- 

 fancy, a size inferior to that of his age, and afterwards grows up 

 rapidly to the ordinary size of his species. In the second, he 

 is born and developed normally at first, then, ceasing to in- 

 crease, retains a stature for the remaining part of his life, infe- 

 rior to that of the adult. In the third, he is born a dwarf, and 

 presents, at every stage of his existence, a stature very inferior 

 to that of his age. Dwarfishness, then, may be temporary or 

 permanent. 



Without dwelling on the hypothesis of the ancients, who at- 

 tributed the production of dwarfs to a defect in the quality or 

 quantity of the semen, M. GeofFroy considers the explanation of 

 the moderns much more satisfactory, who regard it as the result 

 of an obstacle opposed to the nourishment and development of 

 the foetus, either from a faulty conformation in the mother, or 

 by a disease attacking the young subject in the course of its foe- 

 tal or embryo life. The stoppage in growth observed in infants 

 or young animals, in consequence of a deficiency of nourish- 

 ment, or bad health, seems to strengthen this opinion, which the 

 ricketty constitution of dwarfs confirms in other points of view. 

 Besides, it is observed that among animals, who rarely present 

 any examples of being ricketty, dwarfishness is very rare. 



After discussing dwarfishness and tardy growth, M. Geoffroy 

 treats of general augmentations in size — of Giants^ and the pre- 



