THE SPEECH OF MONKEYS. I47 



somewhat higher type of speech than do their 

 wild progenitors. Why are all forms of mam- 

 mals endowed with vocal organs? Why should 

 nature bestow on them these organs if not de- 

 signed for use? One or the other of two conclu- 

 sions seems inevitable. As a law of evolution and 

 progress, all organs are imparted to animals for 

 use and not for ornament. It seems consistent, 

 from what we know T of nature, to suppose that the 

 vocal organs of these lower forms are being de- 

 veloped to meet a new requirement in the animal 

 economy, or, having once discharged some func- 

 tion necessary to the being and comfort of the 

 animal, they are now lapsing into disuse and be- 

 coming atrophied. If they are in the course of 

 development, it argues that the creature which 

 possesses them must possess a rudimentary 

 speech which is developing at a like rate into a 

 higher type of speech. If they are in a state of 

 decay or atrophy, it argues that the animal must 

 have been able to speak at some former period, 

 and that now, in losing the power of speech, it is 

 gradually losing the organ. In either case, the 

 organs themselves would be in a state of devel- 

 opment in harmony with the condition of the 

 speech of the animal. The function which 



