16 VERTEBUATES 



To support all the heavy organs contained within the abdomen, 

 four bones, attached to the lower end of the backbone, spread 

 out into a sort of basin, called the pelvis ; while they are still fur- 

 ther protected in front and at the sides by skin, fat, and muscles. 



The limits of man and other animals are called their ex- 

 tremities. TIi» arm, or upper extremity, is composed of the 

 shoulder having two bones, the collar-bone, and the shoulder- 

 blade, the two latter connecting it with the trunk ; the arm, which 

 has only one long, firm bone, extending to the elbow; the forearm, 

 which has two long, parallel bones, reaching from the elbow to 

 the wrist; the wrist, composed of eight small, irregular bones; 

 and the hand, which is made up of four fingers, each having four 

 bones, and the thumb, which has but three. These bones are all 

 so united by ligaments, as to be capable of various degrees of 

 flexibility. 



Of similar construction are the lower extremities ; the thigh- 

 bone, which is the largest and strongest bone in the body, being 

 connected above with one of the bones of the pelvis, by means 

 of a large, round head, fitting into a socket of corresponding size, 

 and thus forming the hip-joint. The lower end of the thigh-bone, 

 together with the knee-pan and one of the two bones of the leg, 

 contributes to form the knee-joint. The bones of the leg are 

 parallel to each other, and extend from the knee to the ankle, 

 which, like the wrist, is composed of seven small bones, one pro- 

 jecting behind to form the heel. The toes are formed of the 

 same number of bones as the fingers and thumb of the hand, but 

 they are shorter, and do not allow of the same variety of motions. 



Man, ths only example of the Order Bimana, or two-handed ' 

 animals, holds the highest place in created nature, and is distin- 

 guished from all other animals of the Class Mammalia, by his 

 power of walking in an erect posture, upon two legs. His bodily, 

 or anatomical structure exhibits, beyond all other animals, a supe- 

 riority and perfection of workmanship altogether surprising and 

 matchless, and this, with his mental faculties, gives him great 

 advantages over other animals in point of skill and address- 

 though he is inferior to most animals of his size in strength, aa 



