LECTURE II. 85 



once recognize the head of a brute, pos- 

 sessing little cranium and much face, a 

 mere approximation of form to the human 

 head, a mockery, with which, in general, 

 we are more disgusted than pleased. In 

 the quadruped, the forehead is nearly an 

 horizontal continuation of the face, and 

 the jaws, so greatly extended, that the 

 cranium is but little apparent, and the face 

 constitutes the chief part of the head. In 

 the bird and in the fish we observe the 

 same circumstances, but in a much more 

 striking degree. So greatly did these ob- 

 servations interest Sir Joshua Reynolds, 

 that, in his portrait of Mr. Hunter, he has 

 left his portfolio open at that part where 

 this descending series is sketched. 



This is the first time, on the present oc- 

 casion, that I have to call your attention to 

 the very curious and problematical con- 

 catenation which exists in all the works of 

 Nature. In the African, we perceive a link 

 connecting the human form with the ex- 

 tremely diversified forms of the brute crea- 

 tion. I cannot forbear to add, that though 



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