110 OF THE ANIMAL STRUCTURE 



CHAP. XI. 



OF THE ANIMAL STRUCTURE REGARDED AS A MAgg. 



Contemplating an animal body in its collective ca- 

 pacity, we cannot forget to notice, what a number of in- 

 struments are brought together, and often within how small 

 a compass. In a Canary bird, for instance, and in the 

 ounce of matter which composes its body, (but which seems 

 to be all employed,) we have instruments for eating, for 

 digesting, for nourishment, for breathing, for generation, 

 for running, for flying, for seeing, for hearing, for smelling ; 

 €ach appropriate,each entirely different from all the rest. 



The human, or indeed the animal frame, considered as 

 a mass or assemblage, exhibits in its composition three 

 properties, which have long struck my mind, as indubita- 

 ble evidences, not only of design, but of a great deal of at- 

 tention and accuracy in prosecuting the design. 



I. The first is, the exact correspondency of the two 

 sides of the same animal ; the right hand answering to the 

 left, leg to leg, eye or eye, one side of the countenance to 

 the other ; and with a precision, to imitate which in any 

 tolerable degree, forms one of the difficulties of statuary, and 

 requires, on the part of the artist^ a constant attention to 

 this property of his work, distinct from every other. 



It is the most difficult thing that can be to get a wig 

 made even ; yet how seldom is the face awry ? And "what 

 care is taken that it should not be so, the anatomy of its 

 bones demonstrates. The upper part of the face is com- 

 posed of thirteen bones, six on each side, answering each 

 to each, and the thirteenth, without a fellow, in the mid- 

 dle ; the lower part of the face is in like manner composed 

 of six bones, three on each side, respectively corresponding, 

 and the lower jaw in the centre. In building an arch, could 

 more be done in order to make the curve true'^. i. e. the 

 parts equi-distant from the middle, alike in figure and po- 

 sition. 



The exact resemblance of the eyes, considering how 

 compound this organ is in its structure, how various and 

 how delicate are the shades of colour with which its iris is 

 tinged, how differently, as to effect upon appearance, the 

 eye may be mounted in its socket, and how differently in 

 different heads eyes actually are set, is a property of ani- 

 mal bodies much to be admired. Of ten thousand eyes, I 

 do not know that it would be possible to match one, except 



