MAN IN NATURE 485 



other. With regard to food, for example, man might be sup- 

 posed to be limited by his masticatory and digestive apparatus 

 to succulent vegetable substances. But by virtue of his inven- 

 tive faculties he is practically unlimited, being able by artificial 

 processes to adapt the whole range of vegetable and animal 

 food substances to his use. He is very poorly furnished with 

 natural tools to aid in procuring food, as claws, tusks, etc., 

 but by invented implements he can practically surpass all other 

 creatures. The long time of helplessness in infancy, while 

 it is necessary for the development of his powers, is a practi- 

 cal disadvantage which leads to many social arrangements and 

 contrivances specially characteristic of man. Man's sensory 

 powers, while inferior in range to those of many other animals, 

 are remarkable for balance and completeness, leading to percep- 

 tions of differences in colours, sounds, etc., which lie at the 

 foundation of art. The specialization of the hand again connects 

 itself with contrivances which render an animal naturally de- 

 fenceless the most formidable of all, and an animal naturally 

 gifted with indifferent locomotive powers able to outstrip all 

 others in speed and range of locomotion. Thus the physiolo- 

 gical endowments of man, while common to him with other 

 animals, and in some respects inferior to theirs, present in com- 

 bination with his higher powers points of difference which lead 

 to the most special and unexpected results. 



In his physical relations, using this term in its narrower 

 sense, we may see still greater divergencies from the line of 

 the lower animals. These may no doubt be connected with 

 his greater volume of brain ; but recent researches seem to 

 show that brain has more to do with motory and sensory 

 powers than with those that are intellectual, and thus, that a 

 larger brain is only indirectly connected with higher mental 

 manifestations. Even in the lower animals it is clear that the 

 ferocity of the tiger, the constructive instinct of the beaver, and 

 the sagacity of the elephant depend on psychical powers which 



