THE GENEALOGY OF MAN. 231 



WAS THE FIKST MAN A SPEAKING AKIMAL ? 



From the fundamental difEerences between 

 ° ■ certain languages, some philologists have in- 

 ferred that when man first became widely difEused, he was 

 not a speaking animal; but it may be suspected that 

 languages, far less perfect than any now spoken, aided 

 by gestures, might hare been used, and yet have left no 

 traces on subsequent and more highly-developed tongues. 

 Without the use of some language, however imperfect, it 

 appears doubtful whether man's intellect could have nsen 

 to the standard implied by his dominant position at an 

 early period. 



Whether primeval man, when he possessed but few 

 arts, and those of the rudest kind, and when his power 

 of language was extremely imperfect, would have de- 

 served to be called man, must depend on the definition 

 which we employ. In a series of forms graduating in- 

 sensibly from some ape-like creature to man as he now 

 exists, it would be impossible to fix on any definite point 

 when the term "man" ought to be used. But this is a 

 matter of very little importance. So, again, it is almost 

 a matter of indifference whether the so-called races of 

 man are thus designated, or are ranked as species or sub- 

 species; but the latter term appears 'the more appro- 

 priate. Finally, we may conclude that, when the prin- 

 ciple of evolution is generally accepted, as it surely will 

 be before long, the dispute between the monogenists and 

 the polygenists will die a silent and unobserved death. 



THE THEOKY OF A SINGLE PAIE. 



One other question ought not to be passed over with- 

 out notice, namely, whether, as is sometimes assumed, 

 each sub-species or race of man has sprung from a single 



