GENERAL CLASSIFICATION 173 



stood by their fellows ; all they require are a few movements of the 

 body or parts of it, a few hissings and cries, varied by simple vocal 

 inflections. 



Individuals of the dominant race already mentioned, on the other 

 hand, stood in need of making many signs, in order rapidly to com- 

 mumcate their ideas, which were always becoming more numerous 

 and could no longer be satisfied either with pantomimic signs or 

 with the various possible vocal inflections. For supplpng the large 

 quantity of signs which had become necessary, they will by various 

 efforts have achieved the formation of articulate sounds. At first 

 they will only have used a small number, in conjimction with inflexions 

 of the voice ; gradually they will have increased, varied and perfected 

 them, in correspondence with the growth in their needs and their 

 gain of practice. In fact, habitual exercise of their throat, tongue 

 and lips in the articulation of sounds will have highly developed that 

 faculty in them. 



Hence would arise for this special race the marvellous faculty of 

 speaking ; and seeing that the remote locahties to which the individuals 

 of the race would have become distributed, would favour the corrup- 

 tion of the signs agreed upon for the transmission of each idea, languages 

 would arise and everywhere become diversified. 



In this respect, therefore, all will have been achieved by needs alone : 

 they will have given rise to efforts, and the organs adapted to the 

 articulation of sounds will have become developed by habitual use. 



Such are the reflections which might be aroused, if man were dis- 

 tinguished from animals only by his organisation, and if his origin 

 were not different from theirs. J 



ADDITIONS TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF 

 CHAPS. VII. AND VIII. 



During the last few days of June 1809 the menagerie of the Museum 

 of Natural History received a seal known under the name of sea-calf 

 (Phoca vituUna) which was sent alive from Boulogne ; and I had an 

 opportunity of observing the movements and habits of this animal. 

 Thereupon I acquired a still stronger conviction that this amphibian 

 is much more alhed to the unguiculate mammals than to the other 

 mammals, notwithstanding the great differences in general shape 

 between it and them. 



Its hind legs, although very short Uke the fore-legs, are quite free 

 and separate from the tail, which is small but quite distinct, and they 

 can move easily in various ways ; they can even grasp objects like 

 true hands. 



