ORDER BIMANA. 87 



in mart than in some other animals, are nevertheless 

 very delicate, and are admirably balanced among 

 themselves. 



His eyes are directed forwards : thus, though he 

 does not see on both sides at once like most qua- 

 drupeds, yet, is there a great unity in the result of 

 the visual operation, and the attention is concen- 

 trated more effectually on sensations of this kind. 

 The globe and the iris of the eye possess little varia- 

 tion, and this restrains the sphere of vision to a de- 

 termined distance, and a fixed degree of light. 



The couch of his ear possessing but little mobility 

 or extent, does not enervate the intensity of sounds, 

 yet of all animals he can best distinguish the various 

 degrees of intonation. His nostrils, more compli- 

 cated than those of apes, are less so than those of 

 other animals, yet he appears to be the only living 

 creature whose sense of smell is sufficiently delicate 

 to be affected by unpleasant odours. The delicacy of 

 the smell must have some influence on that of taste, 

 but independently of that, man must possess con- 

 siderable advantages in this respect, at least, over 

 those animals whose tongues are covered with scales. 

 Lastly, the perfection of his tact results both from 

 the delicacy of his external tegument, the absence 

 of all insensible parts, and the form of his hand so 

 admirably constructed to adapt itself to all the 

 slightest inequalities of surface. 



Man possesses a most distinguished pre-emi- 

 nence in the organs of his voice ; he alone can pro- 

 duce articulate sounds. The form of his mouth and 



