ORDER OF QUADRUMANA. 
537 
Nevertheless, when looked at closely, the physical resemblance 
is not so complete as it appears at first sight, and we perceive 
that the Monkey is far from attaining perfection precisely in 
those organs which assure the superiority of the human being 
over the rest of the creation. 
It is only by great and visible efforts that any of the Quad- 
rumana are able to maintain themselves erect on their posterior 
limbs. Even the structure of their feet — which are veritable 
hands, like those terminating their upper limbs — is an obstacle 
to vertical progression ; for it prevents their resting solidly on 
the ground, and preserving a state of firm equilibrium. 
Monkeys have hands, it is true — that is, members composed of 
five fingers, one of which, the thumb, is opposable to the other 
four : these are organs proper to prehension and the diverse acts 
resulting therefrom. It is even more richly endowed than Man 
in this respect ; for it possesses four hands, from whence originates 
the generic name of Quadrumana (animals with four hands) given 
to the entire Order. But this multiplication of hands, so far from 
being a sign of power, is, as we shall see hereafter, a mark of 
inferiority, inasmuch as it prevents the vertical status. And, 
moreover, the hand of the Monkey is not the admirable instru- 
ment that enables Man to accomplish marvels of industry and 
art. Its thumb is short, and widely separated from the other 
fingers, which it only imperfectly opposes ; and, in addition, the 
fingers are mutually dependent one upon the other, and cannot act 
separately as in the hand of Man. In every way the comparison 
between the two is to our advantage. 
Lastly, that which puts an abyss between the Monkey and Man, 
is that the first, although organised to produce the same sounds as 
the latter, and although possessing the same form of larynx and 
tongue, is yet incapable of speech. 
An ingenious philosopher, Joseph Be Maistre, has clearly 
pointed out the distance that separates Man from Monkeys. 
“ The latter,” he says, “ willingly approach fires lighted at 
night by travellers to warm themselves, or to warn off ferocious 
beasts ; but they never light them.” The act of making a fire, 
which appears to us so simple, is beyond the limits of their intelli- 
gence. Take, on the contrary, the most degraded savage — a 
Bushman, if you will : he rubs two pieces of dry wood together, 
