34 
THE DESCENT OF MAN. 
Paht T. 
CHAPTER II. 
Comparison of the Mental Powers of Man and the 
Lower Animals. 
The difference in mental power between the highest ape and the 
lowest savage, immense — Certain instincts in common — The 
emotions — Curiosity — Imitation — Attention — Memory — Ima- 
gination — Reason — - Progressive improvement — Tools and 
weapons used by animals — Language — Self-consciousness — 
Sense of beauty — Belief in God, spiritual agencies, superstitions. 
We have seen in the last chapter that man bears in his 
bodily structure clear traces of his descent from some 
lower form ; but it may be urged that, as man differs so 
greatly in his mental power from all other animals, there 
must be some error in this conclusion. No doubt the 
difference in this respect is enormous, even if we com- 
pare the mind of one of the lowest savages, who has no 
words to express any number higher than four, and who 
uses no abstract terms for the commonest objects or 
affections , 1 with that of the most highly organised ape. 
The difference would, no doubt, still remain immense, 
even if one of the higher apes had been improved or 
civilised as much as a dog has been in comparison with 
its parent-form, the wolf or jackal. The Fuegians rank 
amongst the lowest barbarians ; but I was continually 
struck with surprise how closely the three natives on 
board H.M.3. “ Beagle,” who had lived some years in 
England and could talk a little English, resembled us 
in disposition and in most of our mental faculties. If no 
1 See the evidence on these points, as given by Lubbock, ‘ Prehistoric 
Times,’ p. 354, &c. 
