34 



solidafed into one. The rodentia, many carnivora, pachydermata, 

 insectivora, and edentata, the bones are distinct throughout, but 

 admit of no motion. The sloth, however, among the edentata, 

 enjoys great freedom of pronation and supination ; here the bones 

 are long, arched, and widely separated in the centre. 



Carpus. — The bones composing this part of the extremity are 

 usually disposed in two rows, as in man. though the number almost 

 invariably differs from that model. The following is Cuvier's 

 statement of their number: — In man and the elephant. 8; in apes, 

 the hare, and the mole, 9: in the solipeda, carnivora and several 

 rodentia, 7 ; in the ruminantia from 6 to 7 ; in the edentata, 6; and 

 in cetacea from 4 to 7. In apes, carnivora, and several of the un- 

 gulata, the pisciform bone is very large, and by affording attachment 

 to the flexor muscles of the hand, performs the office of os calcis 

 in the foot. The simise, in general, have nine bones in the carpus — 

 another distinction between their hand and that of man. In the 

 most anthropo-morphous of them, the chimpanse and the ourang- 

 outang, the ninth is a sesamoid bone in the tendon of the abductor 

 pollicis longus. 



The metacarpal bones in the whale are five in number and 

 flattened in the form of phalanges. These last are, two in the 

 thumb, three in the little finger, four in the index and ring fingers, 

 and five in the middle, collectively forming a short but strong 

 paddle. The shovel-shaped hand of the mole consists of five fingers, 

 each having a metacarpal bone and three phalanges. In the 

 bat the thumb is short, and not included within the flying membrane, 

 The metacarpal bones are long, slender, and cylindrical : the distal 

 phalanx is hooked, and sustains a nail by which the animal suspends 

 itself. The simias have these parts constructed as in man, except 

 the thumb, which is small, and extends only to the metacarpopha- 

 langeal articulation. In bears and badgers the five fingers are of 

 equal length, and parallel to each other. In the endentata several 

 of the fingers disappear; for instance in the two-toed ant-eater, the 

 thumb, index, and little fingers, are merely rudimentary; the 

 middle finger, however, is proportionally developed. 



Among the ungulata the hand is still more diversified ; the ele- 

 phant, for example has five fingers all united into one mass within 

 the skin. The pig almost wants the thumb; he, however, has four 

 perfect fingers, but walks only on two. The ruminantia have but 

 two fingers, each metacarpal bone supporting three phalanges. In 

 the solipeda there is but a single finger; for instance, in the horse 

 the carpus corresponds to the knee ; the metacarpal bones are con- 

 solidated into one, cannon bone, behind which there are two small, 

 splint bones, commencing broad at the knee, and terminating in a 

 pointed manner behind the lower third of the cannon bone. Here 

 we meet with three phalanges, the first called pastern, the second 

 coronet, and the third coffin bone. 



Pelvis. — It has been truly asserted that in the human skeleton 

 alone, a true pelvis is to be found. This arises from the form and 



