146 PHYSICAL BASIS OF CIVILIZATION 



India, come nearest to showing the natural appear- 

 ance of man. 



And what sort of race character does this ap- 

 pearance imply, and what kind would the physical 

 attributes from which this appearance arises tend 

 to produce? viz., the utter absence of means of 

 offence, defence, protection, and escape ; the extreme 

 vulnerability, made obvious by the shining skin 

 and the absence of hair, fur, hide, etc. ; the upright 

 attitude, from which visible peculiarities arise as 

 follows: firstly, exposure right in front of the 

 reproductive organs and the contents of the pelvic 

 cavity and chest, where, covered merely by soft 

 and easily broken or ripped tissues, all the vital 

 organs and blood-vessels are located ; secondly, the 

 exceptionally high elevation and mobility of the 

 head, where the senses of sight, hearing, smell, and 

 taste are situated, which location, as explained 

 heretofore, greatly increases the extent of the areas 

 surveyed by the three first-named senses, and which 

 brings all four of them into the most favorable 

 juxtaposition for co-operating with, aiding, and 

 guiding the operations of the exquisitely developed 

 human sense of touch; which sense, thirdly, this 

 same upright attitude has caused to be specialized 

 in the anterior extremities; fourthly, the excellent 

 adaptation of the posterior extremities to the firm, 

 well-balanced support of a tall upright body, 

 whether the same be at rest or engaged in locomo- 

 tion ; fifthly, the exceptional freedom of the anterior 



