Chap. VI. AFFINITIES AND GENEALOGY. 213 



carry us on to the amphibians. We have seen that 

 birds and reptiles were once intimately connected 

 together ; and the Monotremata now, in a slight degree, 

 connect mammals with reptiles. But no one can at 

 present say by what line of descent the three higher 

 and related classes, namely, mammals, birds, and rep- 

 tiles, were derived from either of the two lower verte- 

 brate classes, namely amphibians and fishes. In the 

 class of mammals the steps are not difficult to con- 

 ceive which led from the ancient Monotremata to 

 tne ancient Marsupials ; and from these to the early 

 progenitors of the placental mammals. We may thus 

 ascend to the Lemuridse ; and the interval is not wide 

 from these to the Simiadse. The Simiadae then branched 

 off into two great stems, the New World and Old World 

 monkeys ; and from the latter, at a remote period, Man, 

 the wonder and glory of the Universe, proceeded. 



Thus we have given to man a pedigree of prodigious 

 length, but not, it may be said, of noble quality. The 

 world, it has often been remarked, appears as if it had 

 long been preparing for the advent of man ; and this, in 

 one sense is strictly true, for he owes his birth to a long 

 line of progenitors. If any single link in this chain 

 had never existed, man would not have been exactly 

 what he now is. Unless we wilfully close our eyes, we 

 may, with our present knowledge, approximately re- 

 cognise our parentage ; nor need we feel ashamed of it. 

 The most humble organism is something much higher 

 than the inorganic dust under -our feet ; and no one 

 with an unbiassed mind can study any living creature, 

 however humble, without being struck with enthusiasm 

 at its marvellous structure and properties. 



