DESCENT OP MAN FKOM SOME LOWER FOKM. 159 



Hackel observes, with the canine teeth projecting consid- 

 erably beyond the others in the same manner as in the 

 anthropomorphous apes, but in a less degree. In these 

 cases, open spaces between the teeth in the one jaw are 

 left for the reception of the canines of the opposite jaw. 

 An interspace of this kind in a CafEre skull, figured by 

 Wagner, is surprisingly wide. Considering how few are 

 the ancient skulls which have been examined, compared 

 to recent skulls, it is an interesting fact that in at least 

 three cases the canines project largely ; and in the Nau- 

 lette jaw they are spoken of as enormous. 



Of the anthropomorphous apes the males alone have 

 their canines fully developed ; but in the female gorilla, 

 and in a less degree in the female orang, these teeth pro- 

 ject considerably beyond the others : therefore the fact, 

 of which I have been assured, that women sometimes 

 have considerably projecting canines, is no serious objec- 

 tion to the belief that their occasional great development 

 in man is a case of reversion to an ape-like progenitor. 

 He who rejects with scorn the belief that the shape of his 

 own canines and their occasional great development in 

 other men are due to our early forefathers having been 

 provided with these formidable weapons, will probably 

 reveal, by sneering, the line of his descent. For, though 

 he no longer intends, nor has the power, to use these 

 teeth as weapons, he will unconsciously retract his "snarl- 

 ing muscles" (thus named by Sir C. Bell), so as to expose 

 them ready for action, like a dog prepared to fight." 



Many muscles are occasionally developed in man, 

 which are proper to the Quadrumana or other mammals. 

 Professor Vlacovich examined forty male subjects, and 

 found a muscle, called by him the ischio-pubic, in nine- 

 teen of them ; in three others there was a ligament which 

 represented this muscle ; and in the remaining eighteen 



