CHAPTER VII. 



A LTHOUGH the descent of man from animal an- 

 jL\ cestors was directly implied in the "Origin of 

 Species," Darwin hesitated at the time of its publication 

 to declare his views fully, believing that he would only thus 

 augment and concentrate the prejudice with which his 

 theory would be met. He had for many years held the 

 views he afterwards expressed ; but it was not until he had 

 by his other works raised up a strong body of scientific 

 opinion in favour of his great generalisation, that he fully 

 presented his views on man to the public. The " Descent 

 of Man " was studied as a special case of the application 

 of his general principles, a test all the more severe because 

 several classes of argument were necessarily cut off, such 

 as the nature of the affinities which connect together 

 whole groups of organisms, their geographical distribu- 

 tion, and their geological succession. But adopting the 

 high antiquity of man as demonstrated, he considered in 

 detail the evidence as to man's descent from some pre- 

 existing form, the manner of his development, and the 

 value of the differences between the so-called races of 

 man. No originality is claimed for the theory or for 

 the facts advanced; but it may safely be affirmed that 



