392 THE SENSORIAL FUNCTIONS. 



pensation for the general obtuseness of feeling 

 resulting from the thickness of the hide which 

 covers the rest of the body. Thus the Rhi- 

 7ioceros has a soft, hook-shaped extension of 

 the upper lip, which is always kept moist, 

 in order to preserve its sensibility as an organ 

 of touch. The Hog has the end of the nose 

 also constructed for feeling ; though it is not so 

 well calculated for distinguishing the form of 

 objects, as where the organ is prolonged in the 

 form of a snout, which it is in the Tapir, and in 

 a still higher degree in the admirably constructed 

 proboscis of the Elephant, which as an organ, 

 both of prehension and of touch, forms the 

 nearest approach to the perfect structure of the 

 human hand. 



The Lion, Tiger, Cat, and other animals of the 

 genus Felis, have whiskers, endowed at their 

 roots with a particular sensibility, from being 

 largely supplied with nerves. The same is the 

 case with the whiskers of the Seal. 



The prehensile tails of the American Monkeys 

 are doubtless fitted to convey accurate percep-^ 

 tions of touch, as well as the feet and hands ; 

 as may be inferred from the great size of the 

 nervous papillae, and the thinness of the cuticle 

 of those parts. 



The sense of touch attains its greatest degree 

 of excellence in the human hand, in which it is 

 associated with the most perfect of all instru- 



