SUMMARY OF ' PHILOSOPHIE ZOOLOGIQUE: 313 



column itself is placed obliquely, so that, as M. 

 Eicherand has observed, continual watchfulness and 

 muscular exertion are necessary to avoid the falls 

 towards which the weight and disposition of our parts 

 are continually inclining us. 'Children,' he remarks, 

 ' have a constant tendency to assume the position of 

 quadrupeds.' " * 



"Surely these facts should reveal man's origin as 

 analogous to that of the other mammals, if his organiza- 

 tion only be looked to. But the following consideration 

 must be added. New wants, developed in societies 

 which had become numerous, must have corresponds 

 ingly multiplied the ideas of this dominant race, whose 

 individuals must have therefore gradually felt the 

 need of fuller communication with each other. Hence 

 the necessity for increasing and varying the number of 

 the signs suitable for mutual understanding. It is plain 

 therefore that incessant efforts would be made in this 

 direction, t 



" The lower animals, though often social, have been 

 kept in too great subjection for any such development 

 of power. They continue, therefore, stationary as 

 regards their wants and ideas, very few of which need 

 be communicated from one individual to another. A 

 few movements of the body, a few simple cries and 

 whistles, or inflexions of voice, would sufiSce for their 

 purpose. With the dominant race, on the other 

 hand, the continued multiplication of ideas which it 

 was desirable to communicate rapidly, would exhaust 

 the power' of pantomimic gesture and of all possible 

 * 'PhU. Zool.,' torn. i. p. 343. f Page 346. 



