38 GENEKAL EVOLUTIOi^. 



tion, and classification. But the development of these qualities 

 depended on the possession of the executive organs. 



Thus intelligence of various degrees has resulted — first, from 

 possession of executive organs ; secondly, establishment of con- 

 tiguities by their use ; tliirdly, from classifications based on con- 

 tiguities. 



There are two notable examples of the great advance in mental 

 accomj)lishment inaugurated by the acquisition of an executive 

 organ. The first is the acquisition of the hand by the monkey. 

 Any one who has compared their manners with those of the si3e- 

 cies of unguiculate (clawed) animals — as, for example, the dog — 

 must be struck by the immense advantage possessed by the for- 

 mer. To begin with, it renders the monkey an expert climber 

 and catcher of moving objects. Then he greatly increases his 

 habits of observation by the facility with which he brings objects 

 before his eyes. The minuteness of his criticism is aided by his 

 power of manipulating with his fingers. He learns the results of 

 tlirowing. A cautious monkey, set on a strange animal or per- 

 son, does not rush at them to bite like the dog, but takes the more 

 refined method of throwing sticks and stones. In obtaining ob- 

 jects, if they be out of reach, a monkey uses a stick to draw them 

 in with. In a Cetus capucinus, in my possession, a leather strap 

 was preferred, and was thrown with great dexterity, and the ob- 

 ject always secured by drawing it nearer in loops of the strap. If 

 the strap were sometimes thrown out of reach, the monkey would 

 use a stick or poker in order to obtain it again. All this would 

 have been quite imj^ossible without a hand. This facility has not 

 been lost on the intelligence of the monkeys. Their curiosity is 

 proverbial, and no animal can compare with them as successful 

 thieves ; moving m bands, with watchers stationed, and taking 

 pains to store their booty in their cheek-pouches while they have 

 opportunity, and not wasting time in eating exclusively. 



Another instance is that of man. Here the acquisition con- 

 sisted of vocal organs capable of speech. Any means of com- 

 municating and recording thoughts had the stupendous conse- 

 quence of rendering the acquisitions of one man or class of men 

 the common property of all. Another consequence, equally im- 

 portant, is the preservation of successive races of men from the 

 necessity of passing through the experiences of those that pre- 

 ceded them, and the enabling them to commence their intellectual 

 life nearly where the others left off. So great would necessarily 



