146 MENTAL EVOLUTION IN MAN. ■ 



superiority of words over gestures in both these respects may 

 most easily be shown by the use of a few examples. 



I open Colonel Mallery's book at random, and find the 

 following as the sign for a barking dog : — 



" Pass the arched hand forward from the lower part of 

 the face, to illustrate elongated nose and mouth ; then, with 

 both forefingers extended, remaining fingers and thumbs 

 closed, place them upon either side of the lower jaw, pointing 

 upwards, to show lower canines, at the same time accompany- 

 ing the gesture with an expression of withdrawing the lips so 

 as to show the teeth snarling ; then, with the fingers of the 

 right hand extended and separated throw them quickly 

 forward and slightly upward (voice or talking)." 



Here, be it observed, how elaborate is this pictorial 

 method of designating a dog barking as compared with the 

 use of two words ; and after all it is not so efficient, for the 

 signs were misunderstood by the Indians to whom they were 

 shown — the meaning assigned to them being that of a growl- 

 ing bear. What a large expenditure of thought is required 

 for the devising and the interpretation of such ideograms ! 

 and, when they are formed and understood, how cumber- 

 some do they appear if contrasted with words ! Colonel 

 Mallery, indeed, says of gesture-language that, " when highly 

 cultivated, its rapidity on familiar subjects exceeds that of 

 speech, and approaches to that of thought itself ; " but, 

 besides the important limitation " on familiar subjects," he 

 adds, — " at the same time it must be admitted that great 

 increase in rapidity is chiefly obtained by the system of pre- 

 concerted abbreviations before explained, and by the adoption 

 of arbitrary forms, in which naturalness is sacrificed and 

 conventionality established." * 



But besides being cumbersome, gesture-language labours 



* Touching the comparative rapidity with which signs admit of being made to 

 the eye and ear respectively, it may be pointed out that there is a physiological 

 reason why the latter should have the advantage ; for while the ear can distinguish 

 successive sensations separated only by an interval of ■016 sec, the eye cannot do 

 so unless the interval is more than '047 sec. (Wundt). 



