MAN AND THE APE COMPARED. 389 



in the animals only serve for locomotion, or for the prehension 

 of food, or for aggressive or defensive purposes, have been raised 

 in his economy to be the instruments of higher purposes, and 

 formed so as to be able to execute the orders of a rational 

 j udgment. 



The arms of the apes or anthropomorphous monkeys (as they 

 are termed in systematic phraseology) have indeed some resem- 

 blance to those of man ; but a closer inspection of their internal 

 structure soon brings to light a considerable difference. Thus 

 the lateral movements of the forearm, which produce the 

 pronation and supination of the hand, are far more confined 

 even in the highest apes, who are incapable of turning the palm 

 of their hand completely outwards, and of extending their thumb 

 to a considerable distance. The thumb of the human hand can 

 be brought into exact opposition to the extremities of all the 

 fingers, whether singly or in combination ; whilst in the apes the 

 thumb is so short, and the fingers so much elongated, that their 

 tips can scarcely be brought into opposition, and the thumb and 

 fingers are so weak that they can never be opposed to each 

 other with any degree of force. While man is able to move 

 each finger separately, those of the ape can only be bent or 

 extended conjointly, since the small flexor and extensor muscles 

 of the individual fingers existing in the human hand are either 

 entirely wanting or joined together. Hence, although admi- 

 rably adapted for clinging round bodies of a certain size, such 

 as the small branches of trees, the extremities of the apes can 

 neither seize very minute objects with such precision, nor sup- 

 port large ones with such firmness, as are essential to the dex- 

 terous performance of a variety of operations for which the 

 hand of man is beautifully formed. 



His naked skin leaves man defenceless against the inclemen- 

 cies of the weather, against heat and wind ; but the dexterity 

 of his hand amply makes up for this deficiency, and spins and 

 weaves an immense variety of dresses, which it adorns, more- 

 over, with all the colours of the rainbow, so as to combine the 

 useful with the agreeable. His weak arm is incapable of coping 

 with the brutes of the forest, but with steady hand he hurls 

 the deadly arrow, or sends the far-reaching bullet through 

 the air. Though a very imperfect swimmer he overtakes all 

 the denizens of the ocean, pursues them into their remotest 



