100 THE NEANDERTHAL SKULL. 



is recorded in the literature of your black 

 brethren of America, which is very ap- 

 propriate to this hazy notion of man's 

 primeval ancestor. A Negro Debating 

 Society once met to discuss the following 

 question " Which am de mudder ob de 

 chicken de hen wot lay de egg, or de 

 hen wot hatches de chick?" After a 

 warm debate, when the majority seemed 

 disposed to adopt the maternity of the 

 latter, an intelligent Darkey among the 

 minority arose, and made a proposition 

 to the following effect. Said he, " S'pose 

 dat you set one dozen duck's eggs under 

 a hen, and dey hatch ; which am de 

 mudder, de duck or de hen ? '' This was 

 a poser, but the President, who sided 

 with the majority, was equal to the 

 occasion. So after scratching his woolly 

 pate for an idea, he rose with becoming 

 dignity, and in all the pride of conscious 

 superiority announced his decision as 

 follows: " Ducks am not before de 

 house ; chicken am de question ; deref ore 

 I rule de ducks out ! " And so he did, 



