18 MAMMALS

generalised to the specialised—have established the
theory of his classification on so broad a basis that
discussion as to the main question has practically
ceased, and the conflict now rages around the
secondary means. by which the changes have been
brought about.

Adopting, then, the usual plan, let us begin with
the animals between whom and ourselves there is, as
Sir Richard Owen said, ‘an all-prevailing similitude
of structure’ which is unmistakable, and an external
resemblance, particularly in their youth, which has in
all parts of the world procured for them among savage
races the local names of ‘wild men,’ ‘little men,’
‘hairy men, &c, by which we in so many cases
know them.

In the front rank of these come the chimpanzees,
the gorillas, the orangs, and the gibbons. These are
‘the man-like apes, the Szzéd@, which, with the old-
world monkeys, the American monkeys, and the
marmosets, form four out of five of the families of the
man-like animals included in the order of Anthro-
potdea ; the fifth family being the Homenide, to which
man, the type of the order, belongs. Opinions differ
as to which of the Szw#eczde@ should head the group.
The gorillas are most like man in size, but the
gibbons, which are not above three feet high, have
a much more human-looking skull, without ridges
or crests, and with a nearly upright forehead and a
well-shaped chin. The gorilla’s arms reach half-way
down his shins, but the arms of the gibbons are so
long that they can touch their toes with their fingers
as they walk ; and the gibbons can walk upright and