30 THE NEANDERTHAL SKULL. 



cause the formation of a membrane, and it 

 would thus become to all intents a water 

 bird; or it might extend its feet still more 

 by passing through still deeper waters, 

 and gradually its legs would become as 

 long as those of a crane or flamingo. 

 These two actions, combined with fresh 

 desires aud a natural tendency to satisfy 

 them, have united to form man from a 

 monkey. A species of these animals, pro- 

 bably that of the orang-outang^ though of 

 this all remembrance has been lost (no 

 specimen of the missing link having yet 

 been found), began to climb trees, and to 

 seize them with its hinder hands as well as 

 with those before. After having thus 

 walked on the ground for many genera- 

 tions, the hinder limbs became formed in 

 a manner suitable to their habits, and feet 

 appeared, by which means these animals 

 were enabled to walk upright. They had 

 no need of their paws for the purpose of 

 gathering fruit or fighting ; they were able 

 to employ their fore-feet which were 

 turned into hands, and hence by degrees 



