

ANIMAL MECHANISM. 



283 



FIG. 1. 



Explanation of Figure 1. 

 This is a well marked car 



of a man, drawn from life. 



a to e The helix, forming 

 the rim. 



a The upper end or com- 

 mencement of the rim, slop- 

 ing into the concha. 



b Part of the edge lost in 

 the face. 



c, d Prominent from the 

 head. 



e The fold terminating in 

 .the lobule of the ear. 



fio m The antihelix. 



/, g The upper end divid- 

 ed into two ridges, h the 

 union of them, / and g. 



i, k lower end of the anti- 

 helix, continued at i into 

 the concha, and at k into 

 antitragus. 



I The tragus covering the 

 entrance to the ear like 

 a post at the corner of a street 

 to prevent sudden injury. 



m Antitragus. 



n Lobe of the ear, usually bored. 



oo Furrow between the helix and antihelix. 



p The boat like depression between the lines of the antihelix 



x The concha. 



r The beginning of the meatus auditorious. 



MUSCLES. 



Although in the human species, there are muscles which 

 seem at first sight to have been designed for moving the 

 ear in different directions, their office is expressly 

 to keep the cartilage tense, equally on the stretch at 

 all points, to increase its vibratory property. Occasion- 

 ally, individuals are seen who have such development 

 of the auricular muscles, as to be able to move their ears 

 at pleasure. Wags and buffoons are sometimes expert in 

 the exercise. Several physiologists have suggested that 

 mankind, in these degenerate days, have lost the power 

 of moving their ears, by wearing hats, bonnets and such 

 like unphilosophical coverings for the head, and in cor- 

 roboration, (by way of sustaining an argument,) make 

 reference to some solitary examples of ancient statues, 



