PROPORTION OF THE BRAIN TO THE BODY. 147 



Emily. As man has greater intellectual faculties than 

 any other.animal, then, according to this doctrine, he must 

 have the greatest head, in proportion to his body, of all 

 other animals. 



Dr. B. This does not necessarily follow, because 

 the whole brain is not supposed to be devoted to the ex- 

 ercise of the intellectual faculties. Still it is so general- 

 ly true, that, at one time it was a commonly received 

 opinion, though many exceptions now brought to light, 

 destroy its force as a universal rule. 



Emily. Do mention some of these exceptions ; I am 

 curious to know what animals have a larger brain than 

 the " lord of creation." 



Dr. B. It has been ascertained that the dolphin, 

 some of the seals, several apes, and some birds, exceed 

 the human species in this particular ; and an exami- 

 nation of the proportions of many other inferior ani- 

 mals, shows that the intellectual capacity is not always 

 proportional to the relative size of the brain. Thus, in 

 man, the brain bears to the body, the proportion of 1 to 

 22, 33, and sometimes 35 ; in the dog, it is as 1 to 100 ; 

 in the elephant, as 1 to 500 ; in the sheep, as 1 to 257 ; 

 in the horse, as 1 to 700 ; in the ass, as 1 to 154; in 

 the eagle, as 1 to 260 ; in the duck as 1 to 257 ; in the 

 tortoise, as 1 to 2240 ; in the frog, as 1 to 172 ; in the 

 shark, as 1 to 2496 ; in the carp, as 1 to 580. 



Emily. Truly, we may bid good bye to theory now. 

 Here is the ass, the very emblem of stupidity, with four 

 times more brain than his nobler brother, the horse; and 

 the elephant, the most sagacious among brutes, exceeded 

 in point of brain, by the silly sheep. But what are the 

 proportions in those animals which you mentioned as 

 being exceptions to the principle that man possesses the 

 largest brain in proportion to his body ? 



Dr. B. In the dolphin, the brain is to the body, as 

 1 to 25 ; in the Canary bird, as 1 to 14 ; in the sparrow, 

 as 1 to 25 ; in the red breast, a 1 to 32. Thus, you 

 see most strikingly, how such facts are worth volumes 

 of speculation. 



