ii8 THE ASCENT OF MAN 



of the vertebral column, curling faintly outward in 

 suggestive fashion, are three, four, and occasion- 

 ally five vertebrae forming the coccyx, a true 

 rudimentary tail. In the adult this is always con- 

 cealed beneath the skin, but in the embryo, both 

 in Man and ape, at an early stage it is much 

 longer than the limbs. What is decisive as to 

 its true nature, however, is that even in the 

 embryo of Man the muscles for wagging it are 

 still found. In the grown-up human being these 

 muscles are represented by bands of fibrous tissue, 

 but cases are known where the actual muscles 

 persist through life. That a distinct external tail 

 should not still be found in Man may seem dis- 

 appointing to the evolutionist. But the want of 

 a tail argues more for the theory of Evolution 

 than its presence would have done. For all the 

 anthropoids most allied to Man have long since 

 also parted with theirs. 



With regard to the presence of Hair on the 

 body, and its disposition and direction, some curious 

 facts may be noticed. No one, until Evolution 

 supplied the impulse to a fresh study of the com- 

 monplace, thought it worth while to study such 

 trifles as the presence of hair on the fingers and 

 hands, and the slope of the hair on the arms. 

 But now that attention is called to it, every detail 



