CHAPTER VII 



MONKEYS: THEIR AFFINITIES AND DISTRIBUTION 



If the skeletons of an orang-utan and a chimpanzee be 

 compared with that of a man, there will be found to be 

 the most wonderful resemblance, together with a very 

 marked diversity. Bone for bone, throughout the whole 

 structure, will be found to agree in general form, position, 

 and function, the only absolute differences being that the 

 orang has nine wrist bones, whereas man and the chim- 

 panzee have but eight ; and the chimpanzee has thirteen 

 pairs of ribs, whereas the orang, like man, has but twelve. 

 With these two exceptions, the differences are those of 

 shape, proportion, and direction only, though the resulting 

 differences in the external form and motions are very 

 considerable. The greatest of these are, that the feet of 

 the anthropoid or man-like apes, as well as those of all 

 monkeys, are formed like hands, with large opposable 

 thumbs fitted to grasp the branches of trees but unsuit- 

 able for erect walking, while the true hands have weak 

 small thumbs but very long and powerful fingers, forming 

 a hook rather than a hand adapted for climbing up trees 

 and suspending the whole weight from horizontal branches. 

 The almost complete identity of the skeleton, however, 

 and the close similarity of the muscles and of all the 

 internal organs, have produced that striking and ludicrous 

 resemblance to man which every one recognises in these 

 higher apes and, in a less degree, in the whole monkey 

 tribe ; the face and features, the motions, attitudes, and 

 gestures being often a strange caricature of humanity. 



