71 



panzee. The hair of the arm inclines downward, that of the 

 fore-arm upward, as in the chimpanzee. The thumb extends a 

 little beyond the base of the proximal phalanx of the fore-finger; 

 it does not reach to the end of the metacarpal bone in the chim- 

 panzee or any other ape : the thumb of the siamang is still shorter 

 in proportion to the length of the fingers of the same hand: the 

 philosophical zoologist will see great significance in this fact. In 

 man the thumb extends to, or beyond, the middle of the first 

 phalanx of the fore-finger. 



The fore-arm in the gorilla passes into the hand with very 

 slight evidence, by constriction, of the wrist; the circumference of 

 which, without the hair, is fourteen inches, that of a strong man 

 averaging eight inches. The hand is remarkable for its breadth 

 and thickness, and for the great length of the palm, occasioned 

 both by the length of the metacarpus and the greater extent of 

 undivided integument between the digits than in man; these only 

 begin to be free opposite the middle of the proximal or first 

 phalanges in the gorilla. The digits are thus short, and appear as 

 if swollen and gouty; and are conical in shape after the first joint, 

 by tapering to nails, which, being not larger or longer than those 

 of man, are relatively to the fingers much smaller. The circum- 

 ference of the middle digit at the first joint in the gorilla is 5^ 

 inches; in man, at the same part, it averages 2J inches. The skin 

 covering the middle phalanx is thick and callous on the backs of 

 the fingers, and there is little outward appearance of the second 

 joint. The habit of the animal to apply those parts to the ground, 

 in occasional progression, is manifested by these callosities. The 

 back of the hand is hairy as far as the divisions of the fingers; the 

 palm is naked and callous. The thumb, besides its shortness, 

 according to the standard of the human hand, is scarcely half so 

 thick as the fore-finger. The nail of the thumb did not extend to 

 the end of that digit; in the fingers the nail projected a little 

 beyond the end, but with a slightly convex worn margin, resem- 

 bling the human nails in shape, but relatively less. 



In the hind-limbs, chiefly noticeable was that first appearance 

 in the quadrumanous series of a muscular development of the 

 gluteus, causing a small buttock to project over each tuber ischii. 

 This structure, with the peculiar expanse (in Quadrumana) of the 

 iliac bones, leads to an inference that the gorilla must naturally 

 and with more ease resort occasionally to station and progression 

 on the lower limbs than any other ape. 



