OF MANHOOD. 457 



and are clofe and united In others. The pa- 

 late of fome fiflies is a hard bony plate, fluck 

 full of (harp points, which perform the office of 

 teeth. 



The mouths of moft animals are armed with 

 fome folid fuhftance, which enables them to ap- 

 prehend or grind their food. The teeth of men, 

 quadrupeds, and filhes, the beaks of birds, the 

 pinchers, faws, &c. of infeds, are all hard inflru- 

 ments, and, like the nails, horns, and hoofs, 

 derive their origin from the nerves. We for- 

 merly remarked, that nerves, when expofed to 

 the air, acquire a furprifing hardnefs. As the 

 mouth gives a free accefs to the air, it is there- 

 fore natural to think that the nerves which ter- 

 minate there (hould harden, and produce the 

 teeth, the bony plate, the beak, the pinchers, 

 and all the other folid parts of animals. 



The neck fupports the head, and unites it to 

 the body. It is larger and ftronger in moft 

 quadrupeds than in man. Fifhes, and other 

 animals which are not furnifhed with lungs fimi- 

 Jar to ours, have no neck. Birds, in general, 

 have longer necks than other animals. Thofe 

 birds which have fhort claws have likewife fliort 

 necks, and vice verfa. Ariflotle fays, that birds 

 of prey which have pounces are all (hort necked. 



The human brcalt is proportionally larger 

 than that of other animals ; and none but man 

 and the monkey have collar-bones. The 

 breafts of women are larger and more promi- 

 nent 



