MAN AND APES. 
115 
considered in the totality of his nature, because that is a matter 
not to be settled without the intervention of the philosopher and 
the psychologist. The anatomist — as such, however wide and 
detailed may be his acquaintance with different animals — is ne- 
cessarily incompetent to offer a valid opinion as to that question. 
The matters to be here investigated concern physical science 
only — facts of zoology and of anatomy, together with the infer- 
ences which may be drawn from them respecting man’s bodily 
structure. The questions, then, which are to occupy us are the 
following: 1. What is the real zoological position and nature 
of the G-orilla ? 2. What are the degrees of resemblance to 
man which the various kinds of apes exhibit ? 3. W^hat is the 
bearing of these facts upon the doctrine of evolution (or deri- 
vation), as applied to man’s body, including the question as to 
the direction which the line of genetic affinity seems to take 
in passing from man through the apes to lower animals ? 
Whatever existing species is most nearly related to that ex- 
tinct root-form which, according to Mr. Darwin’s hypothesis, 
was the immediate ancestor of man — must exhibit a greater 
number of structural characters like those of man than any other 
existing species. The ape, next in affinity, must show the next 
degree of resemblance, and so on. 
If the Grorilla really possesses that exceptional affinity to man 
with which it is popularly credited, it must exhibit a cluster of 
structural approximations to man such as are not to be found 
in any other animal. If, again, there should be reason to think 
that any anatomical peculiarities have speci-al hereditary signi- 
ficance (either from their not being related to habit, or from the 
organ in which they are found), then sueh peculiarities should 
exist in the GroriUa if it deserves the pre-eminence so commonly 
attributed to it. 
In order to understand the first point to be ^considered (the 
Grorilla’s zoological position), a few words must be said as to 
the classification of animals generally. 
All the higher animals (from beasts to fishes) are separated 
off from lower animals (such as insects, worms, and shell-fish), 
and form by themselves a great group (or sub-kingdom) called 
Vertebkata.* The Vertebrata are divided into five classes : — 
1. Mammalia (beasts). 2. Aves (birds). 3. Eeptilia (reptiles). 
4. Batrachia (frogs and efts). 5. Pisces (fishes). 
Each of these classes is subdivided into a number of sub- 
ordinate groups termed orders^ and the class Mammalia may 
be divided into about twelve of such groups. 
* So called because the animals contained in it always possess a spinal 
column or back-bone, which (except in a few fishes) is made up of a series 
of separate bony pieces, each of which is called a vertebra. 
T 2 
