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ancient Marsupials, and from these to the early progenitors of the placental 
mammals. “ We may thus ascend to the Lemuridse ; and the interval is 
not wide from these to the Simiadae. The Simiadae then branched off into 
two great stems, the New World and the Old World monkeys; and from the 
latter, at a remote period, Man, the wonder and glory of the universe, 
proceeded.” 
Of the manner in which Mr. Darwin supports the argument which is 
stated as above, the reader must judge for himself. All that can be urged 
in its support is brought forward, and that only as Mr. Darwin can adduce it. 
But the evidence is not absolutely a great deal, though relatively it is over- 
poweringly strong, and so we leave it to those who will take up the 
volumes for themselves. 
Of the difficulties of the argument none are more familiar to anyone 
than Mr. Darwin, as the following passage, in which the principal difficulty 
is fully admitted, will amply show : — “ If, however, we look to the races of 
man, as distributed over the world, we must infer that their characteristic 
differences cannot be accounted for by the direct action of different condi- 
tions of life, even after exposure to them for an enormous period of time. 
The Esquimaux live exclusively on animal food ; they are clothed in thick 
fur, and are exposed to intense cold and to prolonged darkness ; yet they 
do not differ in any extreme degree from the inhabitants of Southern 
China, who live entirely on vegetable food, and are exposed, almost naked, 
to a hot glaring climate. The unclothed Fuegians live on the marine pro- 
ductions of their inhospitable shores ; the Botocudos of Brazil wander 
about the hot forests of the interior, and live chiefly on vegetable produc- 
tions ; yet these tribes resemble each other so closely, that the Fuegians on j 
board the Beagle were mistaken by some Brazilians for Botocudos. The j 
Botocudos again, as well as the other inhabitants of tropical America, are ■ 
wholly different' from the Negroes who inhabit the opposite shores of the i 
Atlantic, are exposed to a nearly similar climate, and follow nearly the same 
habits of life.” 
Thus we see with what fairness and honesty Mr. Darwin tells of the 
facts against himself as well as in his favour. Of the contents of his y 
volumes we can only say that they are extremely interesting, and they all go 
toward his theory of man’s origin. But he has not got a clear case, I 
though all the testimony is with him and none on the other side ; it is misty 
and complicated, and we do not think that the mass of naturalists will j 
accept some of the conclusions which we have extracted. What they will 
say will probably be this : “You are right as to your theory of man’s origin ; 
he undoubtedly has come from the monkey! class, but we cannot accept 
your transition line as perfect, and we somewhat regret that you have 
drawn it so far at present.” 
