The phenomena exhibited by the
rooster were quite interesting. It made all the motions of
pecking, strutted about, flapped its wings, attempted to crow,
but, of course, without making any sound. It exhibited no signs
of incoordination, but did not seem to hear. A ludicrous
exhibition was the absurd, sidelong pas seul made toward the
hens.
Ward mentions an instance of congenital absence of the corpora
callosum. Paget and Henry mention cases in which the corpora
callosum, the fornix, and septum lucidum were imperfectly formed.
Maunoir reports congenital malformation of the brain, consisting
of almost complete absence of the occipital lobe. The patient
died at the twenty-eighth month. Combettes reports the case of a
girl who died at the age of eleven who had complete absence of
the cerebellum in addition to other minor structural defects;
this was probably the case mentioned by Cruveilhier.
Diminution in volume of the head is called microcephaly. Probably
the most remarkable case on record is that mentioned by Lombroso.
The individual was called "l'homme-oiseau," or the human bird,
and his cranial capacity was only 390 c.c. Lombroso speaks of
another individual called "l'homme-lapin," or man-rabbit, whose
cranium was only slightly larger than that of the other,
measuring 490 mm.
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