THE EVOLUTION OF MAN 



them have a very soft skeleton, consisting of 

 cartilage instead of bones. 



This cartilage skeleton becomes permanent in 

 a third group, which is not admitted to our table, 

 but may be found on that of the Chinese, the 

 sharks, which are known at least by name to 

 everybody. 



Separated from these three groups of fish by 

 a wide chasm, there is a fish-like creature which 

 is very highly appreciated by gourmands the 

 lamprey. "' 



Finally, there remains one solitary and very 

 strange little fish, the so-called lancet-fish or Am- 

 phioxus, which is distinguished from all other fish 

 by the extreme simplicity of its structure. 



A comparison of these five groups of fishes 

 leads to the following conclusions in regard to the 

 descent of man: 



If it is a fact that Ceratodus is actually a part 

 of that bridge which connects with man, then the 

 other end of that bridge could not be found 

 among fish with a bony and solid skeleton, but 

 among those which have a cartilaginous skeleton, 

 the foremost of k which are the sturgeons. Cera- 

 todus itself still has a soft skeleton similar to 

 that of the sturgeons. It is true that amphibians, 

 reptiles and mammals have a very solid skeleton, 



105 



