172 



affirm that physiologically the liomologies of the 

 vertehrate skeleton had been exhausted in the struc- 

 tural adaptations of man, and to deny that psychologi- 

 cally the co-relation of a nobler intellect with a higher 

 organisation was impossible. It were to contradict, 

 moreover, all human experience, for whatever we 

 glean from history or learn from the present points 

 to the spread and progress of the higher and the dis- 

 appearance of the lower — and with the spread of the 

 higher, more exalted conceptions of man's relations, 

 and the gradual improvement and amelioration of 

 humanity. It is true that the highest and most 

 civilised nations have yet much to learn, much vice 

 to combat with, and much misery to assuage; but 

 surely no one will contend that the civilisation of the 

 nineteenth century not only excels all that went 

 before, but embraces a wider and ever- widening area. 

 It is true that, in the intercourse of man with man, 

 envy, jealousy, desire for supremacy, and other evil 

 passions, may still exist ; but as education and refine- 

 ment prevail, these passions are more and more 

 curbed, and assume less repulsive forms of manifestar 



character, especially if it shotdd be in the ascensive direction, there 

 might he associated powers of penetrating the prohlems of zoology, 

 so far transcending those of our present condition as to he eqniTalent 

 to a different and higher phase of inteUectual action, resulting in 

 what might be termed another species of zoologicaa science." 



