I02 THE ASCENT OF MAN 



tried at this age, could sustain their weight for 

 half a minute. About a fortnight or three weeks 

 after birth the faculty appeared to have attained 

 its maximum, for several at this period succeeded 

 in hanging for over a minute and a half, two for 

 just over two minutes, and one infant of three 

 weeks old for two minutes thirty-five seconds. . . 

 In one instance, in which the performer had less 

 than one hour's experience of life, he hung by 

 both hands to my forefinger for ten seconds, and 

 then deliberately let go with his right hand (as 

 if to seek a better hold), and maintained his posi- 

 tion for five seconds more by the left hand only. 

 Invariably the thighs are bent nearly at right 

 angles to the body, and in no case did the lower 

 limbs hang down and take the attitude of the 

 erect position. This attitude, and the dispropor- 

 tionately large development of the arms compared 

 with the legs, give the photographs a striking 

 resemblance to a well-known picture of the cele- 

 brated Chimpanzee Sally at the Zoological Garden. 

 I think it will be acknowledged that the remark- 

 able strength shown in the flexor muscle of the 

 fore-arm in these young infants, especially when 

 compared with the flaccid and feeble state of the 

 muscular system generally, is a sufficiently striking 

 phenomenon to provoke inquiry as to its cause 



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