May 29, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



793 



•only a careful comparison would distinguisli 

 one from the other. 



These various remains of Pithecanthropus 

 were again described in detail and com- 

 pared with allied forms by Dr. Dubois in 

 his paper at Leyden, and in the discussion 

 that followed the whole subject was once 

 more gone over by anthropologists, zoolo- 

 gists and geologists in a most thorough 

 and judicial manner. To attempt to weigh 

 impartially the evidence as to the nature of 

 Pithecanthropus, presented by Dr. Dubois in 

 his paper and by those who took part in 

 the critical discussion that followed its 

 reading, would lead far beyond the limits 



Fig. 4. — Third right upper molar of PHhecanthro- 

 pus erecttis, f . (After Dubois. ) 

 ■a, back view ; 6, top view. 



of the present communication. I can only 

 say that this evidence was strongly in favor 

 of the view that the skull of Pithecanthropus 

 is not hviman, as the orbital and nuchal 

 regions show, while at the same time it indi- 

 cates an animal much above any anthro- 

 poid ape now known, living or extinct. 

 Opinions differed as to whether the various 

 remains pertained to the same individual, 

 but no one doubted their importance. 



The varied opinions expressed in regard 

 to the anatomical characters of each of the 

 specimens have ah-eady been published, and 

 need not be repeated here. Dr. Dubois, in 

 his papers above cited, has met all the 

 principal objections made to his views since 

 he announced his discovery. He has also 

 given full reference to the literature, which 

 promises to be voluminous as the impor- 

 tance of the subject becomes better known. 



After a careful study of all the Pithecan- 



thropus remains and of the evidence pre- 

 sented as to the original discovery, the po- 

 sition in which the remains were found, 

 and the associated fossils, my own conclu- 

 sions may be briefly stated as follows : 

 I (1) The remains of Pithecanthropus at 

 present known are of Pliocene age, and the 

 associated vertebrate fauna resembles that 

 of the Siwalik Hills of India. 



(2) The various specimens oi Pithecanthro- 

 pus apparently belonged to one individual. 



(3) This individual was not human, but 

 represented a form intermediate between 

 man and the higher apes. 



If it be true, as some have contended, 

 that the different remains had no connec- 

 tion with each other, this simply proves 

 that Dr. Dubois has made several impor- 

 tant discoveries instead of one. All the re- 

 mains are certainly anthropoid, and if any 

 of them are human the antiquity of man 

 extends back into the Tertiary, and his af- 

 finities with the higher apes become much 

 nearer than has hitherto been supposed. 

 One thing is certain : the discovery of Pithe- 

 canthropus is an event of the first impor- 

 tance to the scientific world. 



O. C. Marsh. 



THE 3IETBIC SYSTEM. 



The issue of Science for May 15th con- 

 tains the report of a meeting of the Engi- 

 neers' Club of Philadelphia, at which, by a 

 vote of 100 to 60, the Club urges upon Con- 

 gress the adoption of the metric system as 

 the only legal standard in the United States, 

 and the promotion of such international 

 cooperation as will provide unity of prac- 

 tice among commercial nations. 



In connection with this it may be of in- 

 terest to note the issue of a circular entitled 

 'Should the metric weights and measures 

 be made compulsory ?' It is signed by J. 

 Emerson Dowson, of London, who is a 

 member of the Institute of Civil Engineers 

 and Chairman of the Executive Committee 



