430 ANIMAL STUDIES 



a variety of implements of stone and bronze. These houses 

 were built on piles in the lakes, and connected with the 

 shore by long piers or bridges. The extinct race of men 

 who lived in them are known as lake-dwellers. Eelics of 

 man, especially rough stone tools and flint arrow- and axe- 

 heads, and skulls and other bones, have been found under 

 circumstances which indicate with certainty that man has 

 existed long on the earth. In Java are found some ancient 

 bones of man-like animals (Pithecanthropus and AntJiro- 

 pitliecus), different, however, from any species or race of 

 men living to-day, and showing traits which indicate a 

 closer relationship with lower animals. The time of his- 

 toric man i. e., the period which has elapsed since the 

 history of man can be traced from carvings or buildings or 

 writings made by himself is short indeed compared with 

 that of prehistoric man. Barbarous man writes no history 

 and leaves no record .save his tools and his bones. Iron 

 and bronze rust, bones decay, wood disappears. Only stone 

 implements remain to tell the tale of primitive humanity. 

 These give no exact record of chronology. 



So of the actual duration of man's prehistoric existence 

 we can make no estimate. Speaking in terms of the earth's 

 history, man is very recent, the latest of all the animals. 

 In terms of the history of man, he is very ancient. The 

 exact records of human history cover only the smallest 

 fraction of the period of man's existence on earth. 



341. Light thrown on zoology by paleontology. It is 

 plain that much is to be learned, especially in regard to 

 the relationships existing among living animals, by a study 

 of those of the past. A comparison of certain of the ancient 

 reptiles with the long-tailed Archc&opteryx (Fig. 252) and 

 other toothed birds show that the birds and reptiles were 

 once scarcely distinguishable, although now so very differ- 

 ent. Birds have feathers, reptiles do not ; and there is 

 scarcely any other permanent resemblance. Fossils show a 

 similar close relation between amphibians and fishes. A 



