292 ANTHROPOID APES. 



manifold and developed prehensibility of an anthro- 

 poid's foot. The possibility of walking upright to a 

 certain, although sometimes to a very limited, extent 

 is no exclusive privilege of anthropoids, since this 

 power may be acquired by training in the case of 

 other apes, as well as of dogs, pigs, horses, etc. 

 Many apes of the New World, such as the tailed and 

 climbing apes, as well as some semi-apes, bears, 

 ichneumons, scaled and rodent animals, can go for 

 some distance in an upright position, quite as readily 

 as anthropoids, and without being trained to do so.* 

 The structure of anthropoids is, indeed, better adapted 

 for going on all-fours, or for climbing. The pro- 

 jection of the coccyx in the form of a rudimentary 

 tail has, as is well known, been observed in some 

 isolated cases in the human species. This pecu- 

 liarity is supposed to be hereditary in the case of 

 some non-European peoples, such as the Niam-Niam 

 of Central Africa, and some of the Southern Malays. 

 But this surmise has not yet been confirmed. 



It has already been said that when we compare 

 men and anthropoids, the profile of the coloured man 

 presents a striking likeness to that of anthropoids. 

 This is believed by the coloured people themselves, 

 who, especially among negro races, regard the large 

 apes as accursed individuals of their own species, as 

 dumb and hairy men, and so on. It should, however, 

 be noticed that anthropomorphism plays an important 

 part in the religious life of rude peoples, and that it is 

 comparatively easy for uncivilized men to place them- 

 selves on the same level as animals, while civilized 



* We do not here include the leaping and running mice. 



