ANIMALS. 193 



knotted, like some sorts of grass, and sends forth branches at the 

 joints. It is bulbous at the root, by which it imbibes its moisture from 

 the body, and it is split at the points ; so that a single hair, at its end 

 resembles a brush. Whatever be the size, or the shape of the poro, 

 through which the hair issues, it accommodates itself to the same ; be- 

 ing either thick, as they are large; small, as they are less; rounn, 

 triangular, and variously formed, as the pores happen to be various. 

 The hair takes its colour from the juices flowing through it, and it is 

 found that this colour differs in different tribes and races of people 

 The Americans, and the Asiatics, have their hair black, thick, straight, 

 and shining. The inhabitants of the torrid climates of Africa have it 

 black, short, and woolly. The people of Scandinavia have it red> 

 long, and curled ; and those of our own, and the neighbouring coun- 

 ' tries, are found with hair of various colours. However, it is supposed 

 by many, that every man resembles in his disposition the inhabitants 

 of those countries whom he resembles in the colour and the nature of 

 his hair ; so that the black are said, like the Asiatics, to be grave and 

 acute ; the red, like the Gothic nations, to be choleric and bold. 

 However this may be, the length and the strength of the hair is a 

 general mark of a good constitution ; and as that hair which is strongest 

 is most commonly curled, so curled hair is generally regarded among 

 us as a beauty. The Greeks, however, had a very different idea of 

 beauty in this respect ; and seem to have taken one of their peculiar 

 national distinctions from the length and the straightness of the hair. 



The nose is the most prominent feature in the face ; but, as it has 

 scarce any motion, and that only in the strongest passions, it rather 

 adds to the beauty than to the expression of the countenance. " How- 

 ever, I am told by the skilful in this branch of knowledge, that wide 

 nostrils add a great deal to the bold and resolute air of the counte- 

 nance ; and where they are narrow, though it may constitute beauty, 

 it seldom improves expression." The form of the nose, and its ad- 

 vanced position, are peculiar to the human visage alone. Other ani- 

 mals, for the most part, have nostrils, with a partition between them : 

 but none of them have an elevated nose. Apes themselves have scarce 

 any thing else of this feature, but the nostrils ; the rest of the feature 

 lying flat upon the visage, and scarce higher than the cheek-bones. 

 *' Among all the tribes of savage men also, the nose is very flat ; and 

 I have seen a Tartar who had scarce any thing else but two holes 

 through which to breathe." 



The mouth and lips, next to the eyes, are found to have the great- 

 est expression. The passions have great power over this part of the 

 face ; and the mouth marks its different degrees by its different forms. 

 The organ of speech still more animates this part, and gives it more 

 life than any other feature in the countenance. The ruby colour of 

 the lips, and the white enamel of the teeth, give it such a superiority 

 over every other feature, that it seems to make the principal object of 

 our regard. In fact, the whole attention is fixed upon the lips of the 

 speaker ; however rapid his discourse, however various the subject, the 

 mouth takes correspondent situations ; and deaf men have been often 

 found to see the force of those reasonings which they could not hear 

 understanding every word as it was spoken. 

 VOL. i. N 



