Morphology. 73 



way bear some record of its own descent from other 

 species ; and the more closely the structure of any 

 species is examined anatomically, the more numerous 

 are such records found to be. Thus, for example, of 

 all organisms that of man has been most minutely 

 investigated by anatomists ; and therefore I think it 

 will be instructive to conclude this chapter by giving 

 a list of the more noteworthy vestigial structures 

 which are known to occur in the human body. I will 

 take only those which are found in adult man, reserving 

 for the next chapter those which occur in a transitory 

 manner during earlier periods of his life. But, even as 

 thus restricted, the number of obsolescent structures 

 which we all present in our own persons is so remark- 

 able, that their combined testimony to our descent from 

 a quadrumanous ancestry appears to me in itself con- 

 clusive. I mean, that even if these structures stood 

 alone, or apart from any more general evidences of 

 our family relationships, they would be sufficient to 

 prove our parentage. Nevertheless, it is desirable to 

 remark that of course these special evidences which I 

 am about to detail do not stand alone. Not only is 

 there the general analogy furnished by the general 

 proof of evolution elsewhere, but there is likewise 

 the more special correspondence between the whole 

 of our anatomy and that of our nearest zoological 

 allies. Now the force of this latter consideration is so 

 enormous, that no one who has not studied human 

 anatomy can be in a position to appreciate it. For 

 without special study it is impossible to form any ad- 

 equate idea of the intricacy of structure which is pre- 

 sented by the human form. Yet it is found that this 

 enormously intricate organization is repeated in all its 



