I5O EVOLUTION AND SOCIAL PROGRESS 



legged&quot; precursor of our human race, have been 

 carefully noted and set down: 



At the night he would retire to a roughly woven nest in the 

 branches of a tree. When sleeping, his head would be bent 

 forward over his wrists ; these would be crossed in front of his 

 chest, with elbows down and outwards. His legs would be 

 strongly bent or flexed, so that the knees were also near the 

 wrists. His waist measure would be excessively small, or he 

 could not assume this position, which is, as a matter of fact, 

 hardly possible, and certainly painful for civilized man. On 

 a similar nest, close by, would be his wife or wives, with 

 Titian red or bronze babies sound asleep, and yet clinging 

 round their mother s neck. 12 



This last touch of nature, that makes the whole 

 world kin, must surely win over even the most ob 

 durate opponent of what we no longer dare to 

 call the &quot;theory,&quot; but must plainly call the &quot;his 

 tory&quot; of the descent of man from the brute, if we 

 would accept the author s statement on his own 

 valuation. A shudder may possibly pass through 

 us as we think of the venerated head of our hon 

 ored ancestor exposed to the raging gale and driv 

 ing rain of a stormy night. But our filial fears are 

 at once completely calmed when we are solemnly 

 assured that: &quot;The rain would be conducted away 

 by his hair and his beard, by his elbows and hip- 

 joints, so as to drip nearly clear of his face and 

 body.&quot; So too in the sultry summer evenings 

 &quot;the tangled labyrinthine masses of chevelure&quot; 

 protect him from midges and mosquitoes. There 

 is more reason therefore to compassionate our 



12 Ibid., pp. 59, 60. 



