Introduction. 



others who are not scientific, I have been led to pat together 

 my notes, so as to see how far the general conclusions arrived at 

 in ray former works were applicable to man. This seemed all 

 the more desirable, as I had never deliberately applied these 

 views to a species taken singly. When we confine our attention 

 to any one form, we are deprived of the weighty arguments 

 derived from the nature of the affinities which connect together 

 whole groups of organisms — their geographical distribution in 

 past and present times, and their geological succession. The 

 homological structure, embryological development, and rudi- 

 mentary organs of a species remain to be considered, whether it 

 be man or any other animal, to which our attention may be 

 directed ; but these great classes of facts afford, as it appears to 

 me, ample and conclusive evidence in favour of the principle of 

 gradual evolution. The strong support derived from the other 

 arguments should, however, always be kept before the mind. 



The sole object of this work is to consider, firstly, whether 

 man, like every other species, is descended from some pre- 

 existing form; secondly, the manner of his development; and 

 thirdly, the value of the differences between the so-called races 

 of man. As I shall confine myself to these points, it will not be 

 necessary to describe in detail the differences between the several 

 races— an enormous subject which has been fully discussed in 

 many valuable works. The high antiquity of man has recently 

 been demonstrated by the labours of a host of eminent men, 

 beginning with M. Boucher de Perthes ; and this is the indis- 

 pensable basis for understanding his origin. I shall, therefore, 

 take this conclusion for granted, and may refer my readers to 

 the admirable treatises of Sir Charles Lyell, Sir John Lubbock, 

 and others. Nor shall I have occasion to do more than to allude 

 to the amount of difference between man and the anthropomor- 

 phous apes ; for Prof. Huxley, in the opinion of most competent 

 judges, has conclusively shewn that in every visible character 

 man differs less from the higher apes, than these do from the 

 lower members of the same order of Primates. 



This work contains hardly any original facts in regard to man ; 

 but as the conclusions at which I arrived, after drawing up a 

 rough draft, appeared to me interesting, I thought that they 

 might interest others. It has often and confidently been asserted, 

 that man's origin can never be known : but ignorance more 

 frequently begets confidence than does knowledge : it is those 

 who know little, and not those who know much, who so 

 positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved 

 by science. The conclusion that man is the co-descendant with 

 other species of some ancient, lower, and extinct form, is not in 



