124 FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS. 
over the world, will find it difficult to explain 
the tenacity of such characters, and their recur- 
rence and repetition under circumstances that 
seem to preclude the possibility of any commu- 
nication, on any other supposition than that of 
their creation in the different regions where they 
are now found. We have much yet to learn from 
investigations of this kind, with reference not 
only to Families among animals, but to nation- 
alities among men also. I trust that the nature 
of languages will teach us as much about the 
origin of the races, as the vocal system of the 
animals may one day teach us about the origin 
of the different groups of animals. At all events, 
similarity of vocal utterance among animals is 
not indicative of identity of Species; I doubt, 
therefore, whether similarity of speech proves 
community of origin among men. 
The similarity of motion in Families is another 
subject well worth the consideration of the nat- 
uralist: the soaring of the Birds of Prey, — the 
heavy flapping of the wings in the Gallinaceous 
Birds, — the floating of the Swallows, with their 
short cuts and angular turns, — the hopping of 
the Sparrows, — the deliberate walk of the Hens 
and the strut of the Cocks,— the waddle of the 
Ducks and Geese, — the slow, heavy creeping of 
the Land-Turtle,— the graceful flight of the 
Sea-Turtle under the water,—the leaping and 
a 
