82 HARMONY BETWEEN DISTINCT CHARACTERS. 



by the form of the crown of the tooth, it is easily shown that this 

 tooth was destined to divide animal flesh; and that it consequently 

 belonged to a Carnivorous quadruped. To digest this flesh, the 

 animal must have had a stomach and intestinal canal formed upon 

 a certain plan ; and in order to obtain its prey, it must have had 

 appropriate organs of locomotion and of prehension. Its extre- 

 mities must have terminated in separate fingers, and these must 

 have been armed with claws. The limbs must have been fur- 

 nished with very powerful muscles, to enable the animal to give 

 chase to its prey, or to spring upon it unawares ; and afterwards 

 to drag it to its den. The head, also, must have been connected 

 with the spinal column by ligaments and muscles of great power, 

 attached to elevated projections (spinous processes) of the verte- 

 bras ; in order that it may have the power of lifting the heavy 

 bodies, which the animal desires to remove. The lower jaw must 

 have been connected with the upper, by a hinge admitting but a 

 scissars-like action, by which the edges of the cutting-teeth were 

 constantly kept sharp ; and the muzzle must not have been very 

 protuberant, otherwise the strength of the muscles that raise the 

 jaw, would be applied at too great a disadvantage (ANIM. PHY- 

 SIOL. 189). The cranial cavity must have been comparatively 

 large, in order that the size of the brain might correspond with 

 the degree of intellect which the habits of the animal required. 

 59. By inferences of this kind, and under the guidance of 

 our knowledge of the forms at present existing, all the leading 

 peculiarities of an animal may be deduced from any character- 

 istic portion of it ; for if any part, essential to the action of the 

 remainder, had been deficient, the animal could not have main- 

 tained its existence. An animal with the carnivorous propensity 

 of the Tiger, for example, and the teeth or hoofs of a Horse, could 

 not remain alive, for want of power to obtain and prepare its 

 nutriment ; nor would a Horse be better for the long canine teeth 

 of the Tiger, which would prevent the grinding motion of the 

 jaws, required for the trituration of his food. The great principle 

 is, therefore, that every animal is a combination of mutually- 

 adapted parts, forming an harmonious whole ; and that no one 

 of these can be altered, without affecting all the rest, more or less 

 considerably. 



