ii8 SIR WILLIAM FLOWER 



whales, or are these again cases of aborted and dying-out 

 remnants of growths which were once more fully developed ? 



As regards functional use, I can't believe that small fringes of 

 whalebone are at all required for the capture of ordinary fish-prey. 

 Whalebone is a marvellous adaptation for the capture of minute 

 organisms, but for this alone ; and therefore the half-whalebone 

 whales look very much like creatures having a special develop- 

 ment beginning before its utility, or at least its necessity, has 

 actually arisen. Until we can come to some conclusion on these 

 questions we may be quite sure, indeed, of the general facts of 

 evolution, but we can know nothing of the tracks which it has 

 followed. In marine animals, if anywhere, the record may be 

 comparatively complete, and in the whales we may possibly 

 recognise the lines the development has followed. 



The Duke of Argyll to Professor Flower 



August 7, 1887. 



Can you tell me whether, anatomically^ there is any physical 

 cause why monkeys should not be able to utter articulate sounds 

 as well as parrots ? 



You may have seen Max Muller's book on the Science of 

 Thought, He makes speech the one great distinction between 

 man and the beasts, and says that without speech thought is 

 impossible. If by speech he means conversation^ of course that 

 involves thought. But I maintain that thought comes before 

 speech — the latter being only the embodiment of thought. 



But he has a passage indicating that physiologically speech is 

 impossible to the Quadrumana from the absence of all adapted 

 organs. I don't know how this is. I was struck lately with the 

 human movements of a monkey's tongue and its " licking its lips " 

 in expectancy of food. Some vocal cords it must have, though 

 probably less complete than man's. 



Professor Flower to the Duke of Argyll 



RiEDERALP, August I4, 1 887. 



Your letter of the 7th has reached me here very lately, so I 

 have not been able to answer it before. 



