58 



THIRD DAY'S SITTING. 



Lord C. What is the next point ? 



Darwin. "I am informed by Mr. Paget," my Lord, 

 " that persons belonging to the same family often have a 

 few hairs in their eyebrows much longer than the others, 

 so that this slight peculiarity seems to be inherited. These 

 hairs apparently represent the vibrissje, which are used as 

 organs of touch by many of the lower animals." (Vol. i. 

 p. 25.) 



Lord C. That seems a rather far-fetched inference, Mr. 

 Darwin. Some animals have long hairs about the mouth 

 and face — as, for example, rats and cats — which they use 

 as feelers, and which they certainly inherit. Some men 

 have occasionally long hairs projecting from the eyebrows, 

 which they do not use as feelers, and which they seem to 

 inherit. We should, therefore, you argue, regard animals 

 possessing these vibriss£e, as co-descendants with us from 

 some ancient progenitor ! Your premises certainly do not 

 seem to conduct to your conclusion. 



Homo. Perhaps, my Lord — as Mr. Darwin remarked re- 

 garding the power of erecting the ear — those persons who 

 have these long hairs projecting from their eyebrows, " by 

 often touching them, and directing attention towards them, 

 could by repeated trials recover some power in them," and 

 so be able to use them as feelers. This would be a good 

 fact for Mr. Darwin, if he could find it so. He would not 



