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have belonged to a Man, fuch a Skeleton would have 
exceeded in Meafure, all thofe fabulous Skeletons of 
Giants mentioned by Authors. 
I cannot forbear on this Occafion to obferve, that it 
would be an Objed well worthy the Inquiries of inge- 
nious Anatomifls, to make a Sort of comparative Ana- 
tomy of Bones j I mean to examine, with more Accu- 
racy than hath been hitherto done, what Proportions 
the Skeletons and Parts of Skeletons of Men and Ani- 
mals bear to each other, with Regard either to the 
Size, or Figure, or Strudure, or any other Quality. 
This would doubtlefs lead us into many Difcoveries, 
and is otherwife one of thofe Things, which feein to 
be wanting to make Anatomy a Science dill more per- 
fed and com pleat. The very Vertebra I fpeak of may 
ferve to fhew the Ufefulnefs of fuch Obfervations. 
It differs in many Things from the Vertebras of Men 
and Land-animals, as do the Vertebras of Whales and 
the Fifties of the cetaceous Kind in general \ and it is 
a very eafy Matter to diftinguifti them from each 
other. The Body of the Vertebra is confiderably 
larger in Proportion, and alfo lighter and more porous. 
The tranfverfe Proceffes arife from the Middle of it 
on each Side. The oblique defcending Proceftes are 
altogether wanting j and the Arch, or Foramen, which 
the fpinal Marrow paftes through, is made up by the 
fpinal Procefs and the oblique afcending ones only: 
The Body of the Vertebra is very rough and uneven on 
each End, full of fmall Holes and Eminences, which re- 
ceive the Holes and Eminences of a round Bone* or Plate, 
which anfwers to the Epiphyfis in a human Vertebra, 
whereof there are two between each Vertebra, joined 
together 
