THE CASE OF COLONEL TOWNSHEND. 187 



tion. When his excitement reached a certain pitch, 

 his ears began to wag, and the dignity which is be- 

 lieved to hedge about an examiner was in high danger 

 of giving place to a species of ribald mirth at the 

 spectacle before me. Doubtless his movable ears 

 saved that candidate from being " plucked ; " for as I 

 began to question him about his abnormality in the 

 way of muscular movement he recovered his spirits 

 and his confidence. He told me that sundry members 

 of his family past and present exhibited the same 

 peculiarity ; and as he then proceeded to his further 

 trials and questions he gained lost ground, and de- 

 parted from the examining-table triumphant his ears, 

 as I thought, giving a parting twist of joy at the pros- 

 pect of a " pass." Possibly, if my former candidate 

 should read these lines (he may be a medical man in 

 full practice by this time) he may realise how he was 

 saved, in one of his examinations at least, " by his 

 ears." 



My friend's discussion opened up the wide question 

 of the control which now and then man may be found 

 to possess over parts and organs of his body which 

 are usually involuntary in their nature and action. 

 Certain of the ear-muscles, nose-muscles, and the 

 scalp-muscles illustrate structures which, however 

 movable they may be in lower life, are useless to 

 man. A seal, for instance, closes its ears and nose 

 when it dives, and its muscles act perfectly to ensure 

 the freedom of these parts from the inroad of water. 

 But although man has representatives of like muscles 

 in his ears and nose, they are to all intents and pur- 

 poses inactive and inoperative. 



If humanity ever used these muscles at all, it cer- 

 tainly has no use for them now. The law of disuse 



