118 THE NEANDERTHAL SKULL. 



thesis before the bar of a disciplined 



reason." 



Mais revenons a nos moutons, as the 

 French phrase it, though not in reference 

 to your sheepish ancestors according to 

 the transubstantiation theory of Professor 

 Huxley, I would again remind you of 

 the wonderful powers claimed for the 

 Evolution theory and Natural Selection by 

 Darwin and his disciples. We have seen 

 how the master is enabled by this means 

 to change bears into whales. Hence one 

 of his disciples explains with scientific 

 precision how your domestic cattle have 

 acquired their horns. 



" Let us suppose," says Strauss, " a herd 

 of cattle in primitive times to be still des- 

 titute of horns (like the polled cattle in 

 Suffolk), only possessed of powerful necks 

 and projecting foreheads. The herd is 

 attacked by beasts of prey: it defends 

 itself by running against them, and but- 

 ting with the head. Should this butting 

 in an individual have developed into an 

 incipient horny accretion, then such an 



