388 



THE POPULAR EDUCATOR. 



characterised by animals with largely developed and multi- 

 tudinous feelers. 



Finally, those animals which we call protozoa, on account of 

 the simple condition of their bodies, can manufacture, from their 

 jelly-like substance, any number of long feelers. These they 

 often render so branched and long as to give to the animals the 

 name of " rhizopods," or " root-footed," because the feelers, 

 which also perform the function of feet, look like the branching 

 roots of a tree. 



We have now set before our readers the principal facts con- 

 nected with what are called in popular phraseology the " five 

 senses;" and we have given, as far as the discoveries of physio- 

 logical science extend in the present day, a description of 

 the organs with which an all-wise and beneficent Creator has 

 furnished his creatures, from the protozoa, the first link in the 

 great chain of the animal kingdom, up to man, who stands 

 but " a little lower than the angels," to enable them to see, hear, 

 smell, taste, and touch five great powers wonderfully contrived 

 to administer to our pleasure and gratification, as well as to 

 enable us to discharge the several functions that form the work 

 which Ho has allotted to each on earth. 



To enable the unscientific reader, and those even who can do 

 little more than read, to follow us step by step, and appreciate 

 and understand all that has been advanced, the description of 

 each organ, its difference of formation in man and the lower 

 animals, and the various purposes for which it serves, has been 

 given in language which we have carefully sought to render 

 as plain and clear, and as free from technical terms as possible. 

 When, however, it has been found absolutely necessary to use 

 technical names, which are applied by scientific men for the 

 sake of brevity of expression, and a ready means of distinguish- 

 ing one animal or organ from another, by reference to some 

 peculiarity that it possesses, the explanation of these terms has 

 been supplied directly or indirectly in the papers in which they 

 occur. The illustrations, too, that accompany the description 

 of each organ of sense, will be found as useful by our readers in 

 enabling them to understand all that has been said of their 

 formation, etc., as the map of a country, or the chart of a sea 

 is to him who would become acquainted with the physical con- 

 figuration of the former, or the heights and abysses that lie hid 

 from view beneath the waters of the latter. It may be as well 

 to remind our readers that, in order to arrive at a thorough 

 comprehension of everything that is advanced in our lessons on 

 Animal Physiology, they should bo studied and mastered con- 

 secutively from the first to the last. Under the diagrams that 

 accompany the lessons are given the technical names of the 

 different parts of each organ under consideration. 



In future lessons we shall enter on other branches of this 

 great subject as interesting and important in every respect as 

 that which has been treated in the present series. 



LESSONS IN LATIN. XIII. 



DEGREES OF COMPARISON. 



WHEN two objects are compared together, the ideas involved in 

 the words more and most come into prominence. Thus we say, 

 " the father is more learned than the son ; " " Cicero was the 

 most learned of the Eomans." The question which we have to 

 answer is, how are such forms of thought expressed in the 

 Latin ? Observe that at the bottom of more learned and most 

 learned is the quality learned; for no one can be more' learned 

 or most learned without being learned. This ground quality is 

 something positive, a real definite quality. Hence in grammar 

 it is called the positive degree. It is the first step. A higher 

 step is indicated by our word tnore; and the highest by most. 

 You thus see that besides the positive there are two other de- 

 grees, of which the one is the higher, and the other the highest 

 of the three. The higher is called the comparative degree, 

 and the highest is called the superlative degree. Accordingly, 

 there are three degrees of comparison, thepositive, the compara- 

 tive, the superlative. It has been denied that the positive is a 

 degree of comparison. The term may not be rigidly correct, 

 but it is in use, and no better substitute has been offered. Our 

 business is not so much to criticise as to explain ; and conse- 

 quently only then must we enter into criticism when it smooths 

 the way to explanation. 



Now these three forms of speech which I have just given, 

 stand in Latin, thus : 



Positive 

 Comparative 

 Superlative 



{Pater e* 

 Father i 

 {Pater ei 

 Father i, 

 {Pater est doctissimus 

 Father is most learned. 



est doctus 

 learned. 

 est doctior 

 is more learned. 



Look at the terminations of the adjective. In the first case 

 it is us; that is the positive, or ordinary form of the adjective. 

 In the second case, it is ior; that is the comparative. In the 

 third case, it is issimus ; that is the superlative. You thus sec 

 that what in the English is expressed by more is in Latin ex- 

 pressed by ior ; and what in the English is expressed by most 

 is in Latin expressed by issimus. Remember, then, ior is the 

 form of comparison, issimus is the superlative form. You 

 might thus obtain for yourself the rule, and say that to the 

 stem of the positive add ior, and you have the comparative.; ami 

 to the stem of the positive add issimus, and you have the super- 

 lative. Such in reality is the rule. These two endings, ior m. 

 and f., ius n. ; and issimus, a, um, are to be added to the stem 

 of adjectives and participles, in order to convert the positive 

 degree into the comparative and the superlative. I subjoin some 

 instances : 



Positive. 

 Last-us, joyful 

 Pudic-us, modest 

 Imbecill-us, iceafc 

 Lev-is, light 

 Fertil-is, fruitful 



Dives ) . , 

 1-1. ... . > rtcft 

 Divit-ts j 



Prudens ) pru- 

 Prudent-is j dent 



Amans ) , . 

 , , . > lovtn^ 



Felix 

 Felic-is 



Comparative. 

 Icet-ior, more joyful 

 pudic-ior, more modest 

 imbecill-ior, weaker 

 lev-ior, lighter 

 fertil-ior, more fruitful 



divit-ior, richer 



prudent-ior, more pru- 

 dent 



Superlative. 



loet-issimus, most joyful. 

 pudic-issimus, most modest. 

 imbecill-isst>mis, weakest. 

 lev- issimus, lightest. 

 fertil-issimtts, most fruitful. 



divit-issimus, richest. 



prudent-issimus, most prw- 

 dent. 



amant-ior, more loving amant-issimus, most loving. 



felic-ior, happier 



felic-issmus, happiest. 



If, however, the adjective ends in er, rimus is used instead 

 of issimus, for the sake of sound, as : 



Miser, unhappy, miserable; miser-ior, more uriliappy; miser-rimua, 

 most unhappy ; pulclier (pulchr-i), beautiful ; pulchr-ior, more beautiful ; 

 pulcher-rtraus, most beautiful. 



In like manner, vetus (gen. veter-is), old ; veter-rimws, oldest 

 (the comparative veter-ior is rarely used) ; also nuper-ws, late 

 (no comparative) ; nuper-rwnws, latest. 



The six adjectives which follow take limus in the superlative, 

 namely : 



Facil-is, easy, [/cult. I Simil-is, like. I Gracil-is, tJiiu. 



Difficil-is, not easy, dif- 1 Dissimil-is, unlike. I Humil-is, humble. 



In full, thus : 



Facil-is, easy ; facil-ior, cosier ; facil-ltmus, easiest, etc. 

 There are some compound adjectives which form their com- 

 paratives and superlatives by endings different from these. 

 Such adjectives are those which in the positive end in dicus, 

 flcus, and vulus ; for instance, maledzcus, magni/zats, benero Ius. 

 I have called these compound adjectives, because they are com- 

 posed each of two words. Maledicus is formed from male, 

 badly (in an evil manner), and dico, I speak; and consequently 

 denotes an evil-speaker; magnificus is formed from magnus, 

 great, and facio, J do, and consequently denotes a great doer ; 

 benevolus is formed from bene, well, and volo, I wish, and 

 consequently denotes a well-wisher. To form the comparative 

 of these, add "to the stem entior ; and to form the superlative, 

 add entissimus ; thus : 



Positive. Comparative. Superlative. 



Maledic-us, abusive maledic-entior, more maledic-cntissimus, most 



abusive abusive. 



Magniftc-us, magnifi- magnific-entior, more magnific-entissimtis, most 



cent magnificent magnificent. 



Benevol-tis, benevolent benevol-entior, more benevol-eniisstmws, most 



benevolent benevolent.* 



* These comparatives and superlatives are evidently formed in the 

 regular way, from such nouns as maZediceus, magni/icen.s, and b<mevol?is, 

 two of which, at least, are in use in the language, aad have the same 

 meaning as the other positives above given. 



