110 INITIATIVE IN EVOLUTION 



At this level of the chest two streams of hair are directly 

 opposed to one another. That which covers the chest below the 

 dividing line maintains in true old English style its conservative 

 fashion and passes downwards as in the ape and lemur. The 

 more independent or Scottish stream goes upwards on its way to 

 the neck, the side streams passing somewhat outwards towards the 

 side of the neck, the central upwards and inwards, converging 

 gently on to the front of the neck. The arrows in the figure show 

 this very clearly. On the front of the neck the stream pursues 

 its upward way until it meets the downward flowing stream from 

 the lower jaw, and the junction of these two streams lies over the 

 level of the upper border of the larynx in front, winding gently 

 outwards and upwards to the surface just below the lobes of the 

 ears. The opposition of the two streams in the neck is very familiar, 

 as a piece of practical experience, to those ^ho shave, for it affords 

 a decided little resistance to the razor as it is drawn downwards, 

 and many persons change the position of the razor in consequence 

 of it, without troubling their heads with any scientific reason 

 for the fact. 



These are the facts of the distribution of hair on man's chest, 

 but what is the interpretation ? I would remark here that in my 

 former book 1 I gave what seemed to be then the best reason for 

 it, but further reflection on the matter has shown me that it was 

 incorrect and inadequate. I refer to this and one or two other 

 corrections of earlier views in a later chapter. 



Interpretation of Records. 



In discussing such a striking little fact as the one in question, 

 an illustration may serve as an introduction. From the glaciers 

 of Mont St. Gothard two great rivers take their rise. The eastern 

 side of its slopes gives rise to the Rhine, which flows in a northerly 

 direction to the Lake of Constance, the western to the Rhone, 

 whence it pursues a south-westerly course to the Lake of Geneva. 

 No geograx>her would doubt that certain physical features of the 

 country were to be sought in accounting for the contrary courses 

 of two rivers arising from a comparatively small region, and he 

 finds it by a simple study of the topography concerned. By similar 

 methods we must ascertain why from our little Mont St. Gothard 

 at the level of the second rib, two streams of hair separate and 

 pursue nearly opposite directions. 



A little knowledge of the superficial anatomy of the chest 

 and neck throws some light at once on the problem. It so happens 



i Direction of Hair, pp. 88-93. 



