482 Marsh — On the Pithecanthropus erectus. 



from the other. The bone is very, long, its greatest length 

 being 455 mm . The shaft is slender and nearly straight. The 

 general form and proportions of this femur are shown in figure 

 5, Plate XIII, with a human femur for comparison. 



These various remains of Pithecanthropus were again 

 described in detail and compared with allied forms by Dr. 

 Dubois in his paper at Leyden, and in the discussion that fol- 

 lowed, the whole subject was once more gone over by anthro- 

 pologists, zoologists, 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 discus- 

 sion that followed its reading, would lead far beyond the limits 

 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 human, as the orbital and nuchal 

 regions show, while at the same time it indicates an animal much 

 above any anthropoid 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 ojoinions expressed in regard to the anatomical 

 characters of each of the specimens have already been pub- 

 lished, 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 references to the literature, which promises to be 

 voluminous as the importance of the subject becomes better 

 known. Among the authorities thus cited may be mentioned 

 Cunningham, Keith, Lydekker, Turner ; Manouvrier, Pettit, 

 Topinard, Verneau ; Haeckel, Krause, Martin, Ten Kate, and 

 Yirchow, who have all taken part in the discussion. 



/ After a careful study of all the Pithecanthropus remains and 

 of the evidence presented as to the original discovery, the 

 position in which the remains were found, and the associated 

 fossils, my own conclusions may be briefly stated, as follows : 



(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 of Pithecanthropus 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 connection with each other, this simply proves 

 that Dr. Dubois has made several important discoveries instead 

 of one. All the remains are certainly anthropoid, and if any 

 of them are human, the antiquity of man extends back into the 

 Tertiary, and his affinities with the higher apes become much 

 nearer than has hitherto been supposed. - One thing is certain : 

 the discovery of Pithecanthropus is an event of the first 

 importance to the scientific world. 



