SCIENCE 



[Vol. XXI. No. 526 



SCIENCE: 



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SOME POINTS IN THE COMPARATIVE OSTEOLOGY OF 

 THE T.APIR. 



BT CHARLES EAELE, AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, NEW 

 YORK, 



So much has Keen written in the last decade on the evolution 

 of the horse, that I think it will not be out of place to compare 

 some of the skeletal structures of it.« most generalized relative, 

 the tapir. The tapir represents in the fauna of the present day 

 the most generalized member of the odd-toed Ungulates, and in 

 its osteologioal structure we find the closest relationship with 

 those old Eocene Perissodactyles, which are now entirely extinct. 

 As a whole, the structure of the tapir presents us with a most 

 generalized form, but the extreme modification of the nasal region 

 of the skull is a modernization, as it is called. Of all the known 

 Tapiroids of the Eocene there is none which shows this extreme 

 specialization of the facial region of the skull for a proboscis. 

 Cuvier in the " Ossemenes Fossiles " compares the osteology of 

 the American and Malayan tapir in a general way, but does not 

 treat the subject in detail. 



In the present paper, I wish to speak in particular of the com- 

 parative evolution of the foot structure in the tapir. In such 

 widely isolated forms as the American and Malayan tapir we 

 would naturally expect to find some differences in the details of 

 their foot-structure, and such is the case. On evolutionary ground 

 these differences are of great interest, but I do not wish to trouble 

 my readers with a lot of dry anatomical details, without the latter 

 being of some interest. 



As a word of introduction I would say, that the derivation of 

 the modern digitigrade Ungulates has been from an animal with 

 a plantigrade foot, the latter having had five complete digits. 

 An approach to this type is seen in the Puerco genus Peripiychus. 

 Another point of great importance in the structure of this primi- 

 tive or ancestral foot was that the various elements of which it 

 was composed were arranged one above the other; the serial ar- 

 rangement as it is called. The carpus and tarsus of the Eocene 

 Phenaeodiis exhibits the serial order of its elements. Now in the 

 evolution of the foot-structure of the tapir, it has departed from 

 the serial order above described, and with this specialization has 

 occurred a loss of lateral toes. However, the tapir has been for- 

 tunate enough to lose only one of its anterior toes, whereas the 

 horse and rhinoceros have lost more. 



When we compare the structure of the fore feet of the com- 

 mon Brazilian tapir {2\ Americamis) with that of its Malayan 

 relative, we find considerable difference in the shape and relation 

 of the bones of the carpus. This relationship is due to the com- 

 parative specialization in the foot-structure of the one species 

 over the other. In the American tapir the external lateral toe is 

 very much reduced and functionless. In the living tapir this 

 fifth digit transmits little or no weight to the ground. Co-ordi- 

 nated with the reduction of the fifth digit in this species is the 

 growth of the median digit of the manus. Another co-ordination 

 of the reduced size of the fifth digit in the American tapir is the 



large articulation of the unciform bone with the lunar. The lunar 

 has !ilso no cotjtact, or a very small one, with the magnum ante- 

 riorly. 



It has been observed in the evolution of the foot- structure 

 of the Perissodactyles that in the earlier and heavier forms the 

 fifth digit of the manus is always largely developed, and with the 

 large size of this digit is the comparatively small size of the me- 

 dian In this respect, these earlier forms approach more nearly 

 in their foot- structure the even-toed Ungulates (Artiodactyla). 

 Again, in these less specialized forms the long axis of the unci- 

 form bone is always horizontal. 



The position of the unciform is co-ordinated with the large 

 size of the fifth toe; and as a consequence there is a smaller con- 

 tact between it and the lunar, than in the later and more special- 

 ized forms. We observe then, as a rule, that as the unciform 

 begins to rotate upwards and assume the vertical position, the 

 external lateral digit becomes more and more reduced in size. 



Another correlation in reference to the large size of the lateral 

 digit is the nearly subequal distal facets of the lunar, an adapta- 

 tion which is for the equal transmission of the weight of the 

 foot on both sides of the median axis. The magnum is also 

 much depressed and broad in those heavy and more ancient 

 forms. 



Turning to the manus of the Malayan tapir, we find the exter- 

 nal lateral toe more developed than in the American form. There 

 is also less difference in size between the latter and the median 

 toe. The lunar has a large contact with the magnum anteriorly; 

 the latter bone being broader than in the American form. That 

 less displacement has taken place in the manus of the Malayan 

 tapir is shown from the fact that the unciform and scaphoid 

 bones are widely separated, whereas in the American tapir these 

 bones nearly touch each other. The approach of these latter 

 bones takes place with the reduction of the fifth toe until in some 

 species of rhinoceros they are nearly in contact. 



As for the tarsus we observe that the hind foot of the Malajan 

 tapir is broader and heavier than in the American species. A 

 very important difference between the structure of the pes in 

 these two forms is that in the Malayan species both the lateral 

 metatarsals articulate with the ectocuneiform, whereas in the 

 Brazilian form only the internal metatarsal touches this podial 

 element. 



In conclusion, we see from the above characters that the 

 manus of the Brazilian tapir is considerably more specialized 

 than that of the Malayan tapir ; on the other hand, the pes of the 

 former is not so much modified in structure as that of the latter 

 species. In other details of the skeleton of the tapir, I am not 

 aware that many differences exist. In relation to the lumbar 

 vertebral articulations, I would observe that they are very simple 

 and articulate by plane surfaces. In general, the Eocene Peris- 

 sodactyles {Hyracotherium, Hyrachyus) have embracing vertebral 

 articulations. 



THE SPEECH OF CHILDREN. 



BY A. STEVENSON, ARTHUR, ONTARIO, CANADA. 



The term speech ordinarily signifies articulate vocal utterance 

 in conventional forms, intentionally expressive of feelings or 

 ideas. In treating of speech as a product of intelligence too much 

 is sometimes made of the articulation factor. For articulation is 

 not characteristic of man alone, and among the lower orders, the 

 elephant and the dog, which do not articulate, are more intelli- 

 gent than the articulating parrots. Moreover, the child, before 

 he can articulate, employs inarticulate utterance with intentional 

 and striking expressiveness. 



The first cry of a child, whether or not we call it a rudimentary 

 form of speech, is certainly a vocal utterance strongly expressive 

 of feeling. Though the element of 'intention is absent for several 

 months, yet there is a considerable variety of expressive quality 

 in the child's cries during this time. This organism, indeed, is 

 like a wind-harp responding in various tones to diverse sense-im- 

 pressions. 



These early cries are expressive simply of pain or distress, and 

 their expressiveness consists partly in tone and party in intensity. 



