THE DESCENT OR ORIGIN OF MAN 125 



minds. The same remark may be extended to tlie more 

 intelligent animals; as Mr. Leslie Stephen observes," "A 

 dog frames a general concept of cats or sheep, and knows 

 the corresponding words as well as a phil<?sopher. And 

 the capacity to understand is as good a proof of vocal in- 

 telligence, though in an inferior degree, as the capacity to 

 speak. ' ' 



Why the organs now used for speech should have been 

 originally perfected for this purpose, rather than any other 

 organs, it is not difficult to see. Ants have considerable 

 powers of intercommunication by means of their antenna, 

 as shown by Huber, who devotes a whole chapter to their 

 language. We might have used our fingers as efficient in- 

 struments, for a person with practice can report to a deaf 

 man every word of a speech rapidly delivered at a public 

 meeting; but the loss of our hands, while thus employed, 

 would have been a serious inconvenience. As all the higher 

 mammals possess vocal organs, constructed on the same gen- 

 eral plan as oui-s, and used as a means of communication, 

 it was obviously probable that these same organs would be 

 still further developed if the power of communication had 

 to be improved; and this has been effected by the aid of 

 adjoining and well adapted parts, namely, the tongue and 

 lips." The fact of the higher apes not using their vocal 

 organs for speech, no doubt depends on their intelligence 

 not having been sufficiently advanced. The possession by 

 them of organs, which with long- continued practice might 

 have been used for speech, although not thus used, is paral- 

 leled by the case of many birds which possess organs fitted 

 for singing, though they never sing. Thus, the nightingale 

 and crow have vocal organs similarly constructed, these 

 being used by the former for diversified song, and by the 

 latter only for croaking. "° If it be asked why apes have not 



" "Essays on Free- thinking, " etc., 1873, p. 82. 



*^ See some good remarks to this effect by Dr. Maudsley, "The Physiology 

 and Pathology of Mind," 1868, p. 199. 



<" Macgillivray, "Hist, of British Birds," vol. ii., 1839, p. 29. An excellent 

 observer, Mr. Blackwall, remarks that the magpie learns to pronounce single 



