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21 
fall extent. For instance, it strack him that they ought to see the 
formation of different things going on in the manner in which Mr. 
Darwin supposed everything to have taken place, but it did not 
seem that they were presented with those facts. He felt really 
ashamed to mention his own theory, but according to his limited 
knowledge it seemed to him that it coincided with what they saw in 
Nature to suppose that there had been an epoch at which there had 
been something like a distinct commencement. For instance, he 
did not think that Darwin had made out in at all a satisfactory way 
the origin of one portion of Nature—the existence of man, which 
had been an anxious source of discussion since his work had been 
published. He must confess that looking at it by the simple 
collection of facts whieh Mr. Darwin had brought forward, he should 
expect to find something existing at the present time in Nature 
analagous to what Mr. Darwin supposed to have taken place in 
times past. He should have been glad if some one else more com- 
petent had elucidated that point, as it seemed to him to be exactly 
the one which Mr, Darwin had not sufficiently proved in his works. 
The Presrpent said that if the discussion elicited had been 
but brief, Mr. Jecks must not take it as evidence of any want of 
appreciation. The fact was that the subject was a very difficult one 
to express an opinion upon, and he felt that he had himself almost 
gone beyond his limits in saying what he had. He did not hesitate 
_ to thank Mr. Suffield for taking part in the discussion, and he was 
sure they would show their appreciation of Mr. Jecks’ lecture by 
giving him their hearty thanks for coming there. 
Mr. JeEoxs, after briefly returning his acknowledgments for the 
compliment paid him, said, with regard to what Mr. James had men- 
tioned about the brain of the Indians and the apes, it was so difficult 
a question to decide upon in any way, that he did not feel competent 
to speak decisively upon it. The different capacity of the brain 
itself was so variously estimated, even with regard to the primitive 
subject of man as man, that it was difficult, indeed, to estimate the 
capacity of the brain of the earliest inhabitants of the world as 
compared with the capacity of those at present existing. One 
of the earliest skulls ever exhibited showéd a brain capacity such 
such as might have been possessed by a philosopher living at the 
present day, but it was a difficult matter to speak about, as Darwin 
himself would have confessed, as he was not a man to shirk diffi- 
culties, but confessed them fairly and openly. With regard to 
_ Mr. Suflield’s kindly criticism, he thought that gentleman in a great 
measure agreed with himself. With respect to the possible dis- 
covery of the links which connected the anthropoid family with the 
early races of man, those links had not been sought for in the 
‘Sources whence they are most likely to be found, namely, in the 
