. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. 44 NATURAL HISTORY. The bod\- is very ball-like, and there is no ^â isible division between the chest, the stomacli, aud the hips ; it is not troubled with a waist, and anything like one is positively below the hips, just over where the thighs join the body. In fact, as before noticed, the shape is that of a frog. There are no gi-aceful curves to the back, and there is no " small" to it. On looking at the chest, it will be noticed that it is long behind and short in front; the ribs go down close to the edge of the hips ; and in o
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. 44 NATURAL HISTORY. The bod\- is very ball-like, and there is no ^â isible division between the chest, the stomacli, aud the hips ; it is not troubled with a waist, and anything like one is positively below the hips, just over where the thighs join the body. In fact, as before noticed, the shape is that of a frog. There are no gi-aceful curves to the back, and there is no " small" to it. On looking at the chest, it will be noticed that it is long behind and short in front; the ribs go down close to the edge of the hips ; and in order that this extra stoutness and strength of loin shall be there, there are fourteen ribs, instead of thirteen, as in the other great Apes. The breast-bone in front sticks out, so that were the animal to lie on its stomach its point would lean on the gi-ound, and not its front, as in us. This last peculiarity is an adaptation for going on all-fours. The absence of waist and the shape of the loins relate to the small size of one of the muscles of the back (sacro lumbalis), large and important in The lielly is very large, and it is kept from pushing into the chest by the capacity given to the space within the ribs and breast-bone, by a biilged-out state of the ribs at the back, and the projection of the breast-bone. Hence, the frog-like figure looks asthmatical; and as it is very liigh-shouldered, there is but little neck. All this bulging has not only reference to the maintenance of the capacity of the lungs, and its independence of the great stomach, which, when full, would tend to jiress in all directions, but it enables the muscles of the back and shoulders, which have so much to do with climbing, to be large and vigorous. More space is afforded for the insertion or attachment of muscular fibres. The blade-bone does not add to the bulk of the shoulders, for it is rather long and narro* for a great Ape ; and its spine, which has so much to do with the muscles which li
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