FLEXURES OF THE PALM AND SOLE 177 



flexures of a prehensile foot could come under the power of selection, 

 on its own merits. On the other hand this remarkable instance of 

 disuse of a formerly useful structure is adequately accounted for 

 by the evolution of an organ like the human foot which in course 

 of long periods of time became an organ of one function. Weismann 

 might score a point over Spencer from his laboured explanations 

 of man's dwindling little toe, but here, I submit, he would have 

 had to take refuge in silence, and pass to characters of a higher 

 and more debateable kind. 



