282 THE ORIGIN OF HUMAN REASON. 



CHAPTER VII. 



REASON AND PRIMITIVE MAN. 



The next section of the subject — to the consideration of 

 which Mr. Romanes addresses himself * in his sixteenth 

 chapter — is what he regards as having been the most 

 probable course of man's actual physical evolution from 

 some non-human animal — a process he calls, " The 

 transition in the race." 



Almost at the beginning of the chapter he observes, 

 with much justice, "Any remarks which I have to 

 offer upon this subject must needs be of a wholly 

 speculative or unverifiable character. ... I will devote 

 the present chapter to a consideration of three alter- 

 native — and equally hypothetical — histories of the 

 transition. But, from what I have just said, I hope it 

 will be understood that I attach no argumentative 

 importance to any of these hypotheses." 



Such being the case, we might almost dispense 

 ourselves from the task of following him over ground 

 which is thus avowedly not solid enough to really serve 

 the purpose of a happy hunting-ground, or to sustain 

 Mr. Romanes in any struggle with an opponent. We 

 think, nevertheless, that our readers might have some 



* p. 360. 



