206 Scientific Sophisms. 



of the old world." l And again : " The early 

 progenitors of man were no doubt well covered 

 with hair, both sexes having beards ; their 

 ears were pointed and capable of movement ; 

 and their bodies were provided with a tail, 

 having the proper muscles. . . . The 

 males were provided with great canine teeth, 

 which served them as formidable weapons." 2 



Then as to the Ape's descent from his 

 Ascidian ancestor : 



" The most ancient progenitors in the 

 Kingdom of the Vertebrata at which we are 

 able to obtain an obscure glance, apparently 

 consisted of a group of marine animals, re- 

 sembling the larvae of existing Ascidians. 

 These animals probably gave rise to a group 

 of fishes, as lowly organized as the Lancelet ; 

 and from these the Ganoids and other fishes 

 like the Lepidosiren, must have been devel- 

 oped. From such fish a very small advance 

 would carry us on to the amphibians. . . . 

 Birds and reptiles were once intimately con- 

 nected together, and the Monotremata now, 

 in a slight degree, connect mammals with 

 reptiles. But no one can at present, say by 

 what line of descent the three higher and 



1 " Descent of Man," vol. ii. p. 389. 

 * Ibid., vol. i. pp. 206, 207. 



