io6 THE COMMON FROG. [chap. 



leading muscles of these parts in the frog being so 

 like those of man that the practice of calling them by 

 the same name is abundantly justified. 



The perfection of man's hand has been justly the 

 theme of panegyric, esteemed as widely as it is known. 

 The delicacy and multiplicity of the motions of which 

 it is capable are of course greatly due to the number 

 and arrangement of the muscles with which it is 

 provided. 



One of the most important of these motions is that 

 of the thumb as placed in opposition to the fingers, 

 and effected by a muscle termed opponens pollicis. 



An '' opponens " muscle is one which passes from 

 the bones of the wrist to one or other of the bones of 

 the middle of the hand called metacarpals^ and the 

 oppo?tens pollicis passes of course, as its name implies, 

 to the metacarpal of the pollex or thumb. 



No other finger of man's hand is furnished with 

 such a muscle except the little finger, which possesses 

 an opponens minimi digits passing from the wrist to 

 the fifth metacarpal. The same condition obtains in 

 the apes, though in them the opponens of the thumb 

 is smaller and weaker than in man. Though the foot 

 of man is furnished with many muscles, like the hand, 

 yet not one of the toes is provided with an ''opponens" 

 or muscle, passing from the bones of the ankle to one 

 or other of the bones of the middle of the foot, which 

 latter are called metatarsals. The same is the case 

 with the apes, except that the Orang-utan has a 

 small " opponens " attached to the great toe. 



This being premised, the foot of the Frog may well 

 excite surprise as to its rich muscular structure. In 



