10 KANSAS Academy of science. 



ognomy could liken them to many curious human physiognomies to which they 

 bear resemblance. 



In the batrachians, intermediate between fishes and reptiles, we find similar ex- 

 pressionless faces, and but little further elaboration for the accommodation of the 

 sense organs. Being amphibious, however, there begin to be some special structures 

 for nasal breathing. The ^jrominent eyes of the toads and frogs are conspicuous 

 features. The mouth is still a mere slit in the integument for the admission of food, 

 and the outer ear does not yet appear. 



In the snakes, the face is still an expressionless area of the integument, but the 

 cruel eyes display the vicious passions. Any variation of expressioti in the ophidia 

 is in the degree of the vindictive emotions — they live to kill. In the lizards begins 

 the first suggestion of expression of the better emotions, for they really have a be- 

 nign, or at least innocent, face in some species. Other reptiles are grotesque or 

 vicious or expressionless, the face being a mere mask of scale mail, as in the croco- 

 .diles. In the birds, modified from the reptilian ancestors from which they are de- 

 scended in common with contemporaneous reptiles, there is little facial expression, 

 but, as a class, they convey all variations of the emotions through the eyes, which 

 are very eloquent. The nasal structures have considerable development, in some 

 forms, and the extensive jaws are covered with horny sheaths called "the bills," or 

 mandibles, which are varied infinitely to accommodate them to various foods and 

 other purposes. 



In the lower mammals, there is not much advancement, in the shape of the face 

 and the structure of the sense organs, from the reptiles. The outer ear appears, and 

 adds to the expression of the face in various ways. The nasal structures are ex- 

 tended, the mouth widens, and the lips appear. In the rodents, the face is shortened 

 and the lips are elongated. The elephants have considerable elevation of the fore- 

 head, which gives them the appearance of the intelligent character which they pos- 

 sess, although this elevation is not due to brain, but to bone and air cells. The 

 other pachyderms have flat and expressionless faces, there often being extravagant 

 elongation and enlargement of the mouth. The horns on the nose of the rhinoc- 

 erous do not add to his beauty, and the face of the hippopotamus is not to be cov- 

 eted ! The face of the horse seems much distorted by the great elongation of the 

 oral and nasal structures, but the ears are the most expressive features in this genus. 

 In the ruminanti* — especially the deer family — the face is elongated for the accom- 

 modation of the extensive nasal sense organ and the masticating area. Perhaps the 

 sense of taste is more developed in the animals that have larger tongues, for dis- 

 crimination in regard to foods, but of this we have no knowledge. The eye is large, 

 beautiful and expressive in this class. 



In the carnivora, we find the face shortened below and widened above, to accom- 

 modate the peculiar jaws, which are short and strong, for tearing flesh. In accord- 

 ance with the habits of the class, the face is often cruel and vicious, and becomes 

 ferocious and terrifying when the destructive passions are aroused. We first meet 

 here some expression in the features, for the mouth and lips, eyes and ears, can be 

 made to express affection, fear, defiance, anger, etc., as in the cat and dog. 



In the primates, we expect to find the closest approach to man, for, in the process of 

 collateral development from a common ancestry with them, man has retained many 

 of their peculiarities. We can follow the evolution of the face pretty closely by 

 studying it in this class from the lowest to the highest forms. In the lowest of the 

 primates, the lemurs, there is little change from the carnivorous mammals. The 

 face is covered with hair, and devoid of expression. The ears are large, but have 

 become more or less motionless; the eyes are expressive; the nasal and oral parts 



