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theory supposes that microcephaly is atavistic. Atavism does not require 
that some abnormal organ like supernumerary nipples shall be grown; it 
equally applies to the suppression of growth in any particular organ, pro- 
vided that this suppression has left its subject in the normal condition of 
some adult ancestor. 
It is the common property of all students of embryology, that the de- 
veloping human brain passes through a stage when it has no brain mantel 
whatever; that is, no cerebrum; and that when the cerebrum begins to 
grow as diverticula from the fore-brain, its growth is forward, upward 
and backward until it has covered successively the fore-brain, mid-brain 
and hind-brain completely. During this backward growth the cerebrum 
gains also greatly in height and in complexity in many ways, but espe- 
cially with reference to convolutions. It is equally well known that these 
successive stages of the growing human brain are represented by the 
adult stages of the brains of mammals. Now by this theory Basse’s brain 
has been arrested in its development at an anthropoid stage. He cannot 
speak because his speech centers have not been developed. He cannot 
reason because his brain stopped in its development before it teached the 
human stage. This negative statement of the case is not all, however. His 
power of imitation far transcends that of normal or weak-minded chil- 
dren; that is, he has not stopped in his development merely at somewhat 
the level of the ape, but he has developed until it is more than human the 
physiological trait that has given the ape his name, imitation. It is ad- 
mitted that a rudimentary tail is atavistic; that additional ears on the side 
of the neck (relicts of the gill-slits that point back to an ancestry that is 
aquatic) are; but to admit these things and deny a similar significance to 
Basse’s lack of brain and abnormally quickened imitative powers, and 
his other accompanying animal traits, is like asserting that the chief 
characteristic of man is lack of tail instead-of brain capacity and power 
of thought. 
Everyone has seen cases of atavism which point back to father and 
grandfather; and it is said that in the most ancient families of Europe, 
that have in their possession paintings of their ancestors for many gen- 
erations back, evidence of atavism often appears in children and is a 
thing to be proud of. But can it point back for thousands or even for mil- 
lions of generations, if there are so many? Among animals and plants it 
ean, and assent is universal. I have had a lemon brought to school with 
a perfect sector of the rind a bright green, when all the rest was the 
