172 MAN AND APES. 



question of the " Origin of Species," and 

 especially upon the asserted " descent of man ' 

 from some " non-human " ape ancestor. The 

 question, that is, as to man's body ; for as to 

 the totality of his nature no mere anatomical 

 examinations will enable us to decide — that 

 is the task of psychology and philosophy 

 generally. 



In the first place, it is manifest that man, 

 the apes, and Half-apes cannot be arranged 

 in a single ascending series of which man is 

 the term and culmination. 



We may, indeed, by selecting one organ, or 

 one set of parts, and confining our attention 

 to it, arrange the different forms in a more or 

 less simple manner. But, if all the organs be 

 taken into account, the cross relations and in- 

 terdependencies become in the highest degree 

 complex and difficult to unravel. 



This has been more or less generally 

 recognised ; but it has been put forward by 

 Mr. Darwin,* and widely accepted, that the 

 * ' Descent of Man,' vol. i. p. 197. 



