The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-25

fond. with the Cntlu the reason TOT DECKING NJ
loose things has been lost, but the instinct TO
pick remains as a ~vestigial survival, traccable
to q definite food acquiring instinct OF the mon
key. There may also have been an association
with the monkey habit Of picking out one an
other's parasites, a habit which is very noticeable
10 those people, and they are many. who
scornfully repudiate their monkey ancestry, II
may seem far-ietched TO- notice such q childish
but many instances may I've cited OF habits ac-
quircd for some beneficial purpose, or in connec-
persisting both in the life Of the individual and
also being perpetugted In the race long after the
reason for the habit has been forgotten
not unlike supcrstltious ceremonies and
religious observanSCs which SURVIVE IN
loathing and hatred = feelings which seem so I'M
reasonable to many Of the strong minded PEG
dcnce that these feelings were subject of COM
ment at q very early age OF mans intellhgencei
aud IL may readily be surmised that the story Of
Genesis is only the written account Of what had
been verbally told for many generations. Myth
icnl as y is. u seems q most Ingenious method OF
credit on the observers. AS mythology q takes
rs chs snmk; WII VI Ts5' arise hS''f these aces Feelings ss
In respect of snakes y, was the inquiry;
ny. that the snake was the tcmptcr of the pre-
sUmcd mother of oil. Eve: he Is just such rs
would bc tcinpteri his very habits. st.aithy.
that he is more subtitle than any feast Of the
field Because he tempted Eve these feelings
tod. when lac found that I've fell because uf the
s%erpent's temptation. said In his anger: Twill
t%S s1''a INV seed SssTT nnd III her " Seed ~ TY%"" ac %,'
for what we observe; 4 Is all very plain" 50
yet an Interpretation which. because IL does not
rander to the religious self-pride OF human
distinct rank above all other living things,
Is less palatable TO. the majority. Science
inheritance Of inopkey.iiRe ancestors; that the
most terrible foe OF the female monkey. the foe
most prone to snatch the young one from her.
deadly poisonous snakes. The terror they in
spired wa, 50 great that there can be no wonder
Mt its survival In the human female of to-day.
A RELIC or ANCESTRAL TORMENT.
Another habit, a relic of what was ndulged
the present day. namely. the fUnducss OF chill
dren for rolling. II points to the time when our
ancestors possessed hairy bodies tenanted by
colonies of parasites. and is another example OF
parasite irritation shaping animals habits, al
luded To above. These hairy bodies were the
homes of many parasites, among which the par
cnts of Puier iiIitdnS. and many another Pitcf,
,ogeinor Win other KINDS whiGm need n9i oe
our ancestors, owing to less perfect articulation
Of Joints, or 10 less perfection in development Of
the limbs, or to the thick covering of hair. were
unable to reach the source OF trouble effectively.
and could. like horses or d~onkeys, only alleviate
the irritation by rolling. Scratching of the
head rs a nervous habit, from the association
between nervous irritation and actual irritation
by parasites, which must also be transmitted to
the brain by the nerves, ia a relic OF similar
ancestral parasitically infested animals. 1t per-
sists now among human beings who are doubtless
tenants; and II IL n familiar expression OF doubt
and perplexity among hOi poiioi who may not be
altogether so Ruiltless.
ONE CONSOLATION IN Badness.
According to the Dsrwinists the loss Of hair
from the body, which man has suffered in com
lsrison with simial ancestors. is attributable to
the benefit he has derived from being able TO
get rid Of his parasites, or from the greater adj
vantage he obtained in the struggle for exist
cncc owing to being less troubled with parasites.
whose numbers diminished from want OF
cover such an idea, however. ~confuses
cause and effect in. n most remarkable
manner; The diminution Of parasite Is q
not the cause of the hair being lost. To make
it so is similar to saying that the diminution Of
decrease in the number of wild beasts. 1t sup
poses that the greater freedom from parasites
was SO important tn simial ancestors who lost
their hair as To give them immense advantage
in the struggle for existence, forgetting that
this does not explainth the cause OF the loss Of hair
some such benefit may be granted. but what
caused the loss of hair. In the first place
what Is the cause OF the spontaneous variation ?
This seems too early II stage at which to say
IyHpscD or Ignore.
Then this parasite idea ought TO be applied to
what Is going on at the present day.to the loss
the parasite theory. II Is among the classes "
who are certainly above suspicion 80 far as par
asites are concerned that the loss of hair on the
head Is most conspicuously shown, while in the
case Of Hodge, who cannot be regarded In the
same manner, loss OF hair from the head is de-
cidedly rare. An explanation which pretends
To account for what has taken place, and yet
fails in application to analogous circumstance
true Sn exppIana,ion Of the "H loss : Of hair aSifp Explain
the present day loss as well as that OF the Iast:
the loss of hair from the head, as well as that
from the body; the loss OF hair by the elephant
as compared Will the mammoth; the loss OF hair
on the chests Of cid monkeys; the loss OF hair
during disease in animals generally: the loss Of
hair during pregnancy in domestic and ether
animals; the losso Of feathers, 10y, penned-up fowls.
An explanation which i wholly physi1logical,
symptom of individual, or racial decline, as
suInes that such loss of hair is an exempliica-
ton of a law of reversiOn, that rs progressive
ontoRenetic or phylOgcnetic development is,
necessarily, progressive requirement or elabora-
ton. retrOgressive development In similar cases
is, accordingly, loss or degeneration of charac-
lers developed during progression. This ex-
p WsrrHn9ed b tSs syidsncs WIN that 'h ise Hl Snserp a1E
character or particular feature has been, trans.
mitted in the race. the longer Il. will Withstand
adverse influences, may be applied to all the in
stances Of hair loss given above.
In connection with the hair IL may be noticed
that certain .peculiarities in its mode OF growth
had their origin III the habits of monkey-like an
%cestors. On "a child's head the hair grows from
the crown 70 the Iorehean; putin animals winch
stance lit may be noticed that the hair Is always
directed from front to back. a character ac-
al Wy NV Ao'N VI 'N'c hitt'Akh bit q
given direction having impaired a given lie to
the hair. Such may be assumed TO have
been the case with the hair in the an
ccstors of monkeys; but when it is found. rs in
Cebus rclIerOsus, that the hair grows the con-
trary wa -namely, from back TO from some
cause must have induced the change. The flow
of rain may he cited-the head being hung
down. 10 that the crown is the highest part,
and the rain flows of In all directions, giving
the hair q lie in accordance. Now, flow OF rain
in the case OF quadrupeds, a. well AS the ten
dency Of hair Ia grow according To gravity. IN
less other causes are more potent, has made the
hair on their limbs grow from the body to the
e~xtremities. In the case of man. however. and
certain monkeys, the hair On the forearm grows
IN Just the contrary direction namely. TO-
ward the elbow; Here, again, according to Dar-
win, rain has been the modifying agent; the
habit OF ~clasping the hands over The head dur
ing rain has caused the rain to flow from the
hands to the elbows, and has given the hair di-
rectiOn In accordance. These, Of course, are
acquired characters the lie OF the hair is in
accordance with certain disposing forces Of en-
VirOnment. such causes do not act ON us now
but there are no causes acting TO the contrary in
a sufficiently potent manner. Consequently, We
retain by the conservatism of heredity n chHrac-
ter acquired in response TO the necessities OF en-
virOnment in our pre-human ancestors.
$500, - ,.uy In S.., ma.