QUADRUMANA. 9 



which they are distinguished is, that the thumb in all 

 the extremities is opposible to the fingers, which are 

 long and flexible ; but, besides this, there are many 

 other differences in their anatomy, abundantly suffi- 

 cient to satisfy our self-respect. The whole order is 

 formed for living in the trees of tropical forests, 

 where the prehensile character of all the feet renders 

 them perfectly at home. Here they run, and jump, 

 and drop, from bough to bough, with a wonderful 

 agility, but poorly represented by any feats of a 

 similar kind performed in a state of captivity. An- 

 other peculiarity in the hind feet, while it causes, 

 awkwardness and pain in walking erect, admirably 

 assists them in climbing. The feet are not set at 

 right angles to the legs, so as to come flat on the 

 ground as in man ; but the soles nearly face each 

 other, so that, when erect, the body rests on the 

 outer edge of the foot. The legs, too, are not in the 

 same line as the thighs, but directed inward, so that 

 they may be termed bow-legged. The arms are 

 much elongated, and the fingers are very long in pro- 

 portion to the thumbs. The skull, even in the true 

 Apes, lacks the rotundity and volume which distin- 

 guish man ; and the lower part of the face, the 

 muzzle, is prominently developed, becoming increas- 

 ingly brutal as we proceed downward through the 

 Baboons and Monkeys, where, in the presence of a 

 tail, and the general contour and habit, we gradually 

 lose all resemblance to the human form. 



Of the higher Apes we possess but a limited know- 



B 5 



