260 



OEIGIN OF SPEECH. 



[Ch. XXXIV, 



and obliged to flj and conceal themselves, so that thej 

 conceived no new wants. Sncli ideas as they already had 

 remained unaltered, and they conld dispense with the com- 

 munication of the greater part of these. To make them- 

 selves, therefore, understood by their fellows, required merely 

 a few movements of the body or limbs — whistling, and the 

 utterino- of certain cries varied by the inflexions of the voice. 

 On the contrary, the individuals of the ascendant race, 

 animated with a desire of interchanging their ideas, which 

 became more and more numerous, were prompted to multiply 

 the means of communication, and were no longer satisfied 

 with mere pantomimic signs, nor even with all the possible 



+ 



inflexions of the voice, but made continual efforts to acquire 

 the power of uttering articulate sounds, employing a few at 

 first, but afterwards varying and perfecting them according 

 to the increase of their wants. The habitual exercise of 

 their throat, tongue, and lips, insensibly modified the con- 

 formation of these organs, until they became fitted for the 

 faculty of speech.^ 



In effecting this mighty change, ^the exigencies of the 

 individuals were the sole agents ; they gave rise to efforts, 

 and the organs proper for articulating sounds were developed 

 by their habitual employment.' Hence, in this peculiar race, 

 the origin of the admirable faculty of speech ; hence also the 

 diversity of languages, since the distance of places where the 

 individuals composing the race established themselves soon 

 favoured the corruption of conventional signs. f 



In conclusion, it may be proper to observe that the above 

 sketch of the Lamar cldan theory is no exaggerated picture, 

 and those passages which have probably excited the greatest 

 surprise in the mind of the reader are literal translations from 

 the original. 



* Lamarck's Phil. Zool. torn. i. p. 35G. 



t Ibid. p. 357. 



I 



* 





THI 



OBJl 



IDE: 



TIIA 



Qr 



AL 

 OF 



ON 



AS 



Obji 



TATl 



teins 

 ^as I 



from 



^f ail 



if 



po; 



er 



K 



^nitli 



0: 







cifi 



