The Express.
London, England, 1863-09-02 00:00:00

NAN AND THE APES AoAnt.

The meeting of the ZoOlogioal Section wasa very animated
one, and a violeit and somewhat personal altercation took
place as usual whenever man disco's/is hie relationship to
or with the ape. The fad of the quanrelsomeeess of the
sevens on this 'abject will probably be adduced es an foga-
mart of human descent from the lower animals,
Mr. Birk read • paper on what be described as a
"curious aboormity " presented by the fetegument of •
wanner of as old male gorilla from the Osborn. This
iateressing epsoimen of one whom we are taught by on.
section of scientific men to moron, as oar forefathers,
possessed an atreormity reeembling thole seeestimes met with
in the human race. The digits of the fingers (said Mr. Blake)
mu condition of corniezion to that in the
specimens described by zoologists. The sewed (index)
third (medium), and fourth (annalwr). digits are free
the distal sad of the metacarpals, as in the human sub
the fifth dig: (mioimus) is amain • less degree attached toile
minks than in the speeimens of gorilla contained in
various publics MOIOODIO. We have thus a specimen of
gorilla in which the digits of the band are almost as
free as in the hand of the lower rases of mankind.
°ameba lizareisation by a lens of the integument before
the preparation of the specimen by Mr. Leadheater,
who first called my attention to this abeormity, demon-
strates the fact that the epidermis corers the cobs on the
inner sides of the interdigital spaces of the first phalanges
of this specimen. The consistency of this epidermis merely
differs in degree from that of the homologous structure in
the foot and in other parted the body. It would be interest-
ing to compare such • curious aboormity of the integnmest
with the similar aboormitiss which exist in the humau
spode& The hernia fingers are most frequently eounected
together by eredsetyly, and remain during life in that state
of arrested development (as regards the integument) which is
typified bythe permasseetstageof development of the gorilla.
A ease bee meetly come before my observation of a mania
female, in which the mediae and annulus of both hands
are firmly eoccorted together by integument. A similar
ensdition prevails in cis of bar children ; another hem the
deformity 00 the right hand ; whilst the youngest preserves
the digits in their normal condition. The speculation
whether alike rule or its converse may or may not prevail
is the ape ; whether it might not through generations dur-
ing which the oongemital defect of the gorilla, or absence of
the ebasseteristie syndeostyly, might be transmitted, operate
towards the production of a more oreheneive form of hand,
mast, however, be postponed lentil • vaster series of sped-
mess shall be *remised by anthropologiste or paelogistm

. -
At the eke* of the paper, Professor Rouswros ittaehed
the EiffshorgA Swine for asserting that every astereliet
bow that the swede which houod the great toe was, to the
aM sine. a le:or or header of the other tees, whereas la the
limersa loot M was • ewe muscle, the effect of which wet
Mentrelei is the,heasiti of the &ow So far has
miry autterao karieriog this to be the wee. way arta
NMI roold ensad it. There wee so single verb, eadelet

[TWOPENCE

at modern, apes anatomy which weld anthawity for
such a statement. Beale, OM of the bested
the ad autho-
rities, so far frown saying that the great tee of a human
being had only oft decor, represented the nue& se send-
ing out Ito bmitehma to two other toes also. Aid every
competent anatomist would deey the opinion which the
writer of the article in question attributed to them all.
Thereopoa a nvnber of professors entered into a wean
discussion es to the accuracy d the (moieties freer the
Bdirdeirgk, and Mr. BLAKE complained that inch nefair
stress should be laid upon the ppuearrggee,, that ita meaning
should both= warped, and that the togiaal signidcationd the
words should be, be hoped, tinintentiornally misrepresented,
and that drat should be thus thrown in the eyes of cool°.
OM, es had been dose in the theatre of Albemarle.strest.
H. was certain that his anatomical brethren would give the
writer of the passage in question credit for having offered a
leis and true explanation of the differences between the foot
of the appee sad the foot of a human being, sad the best
exptasstioa that he could have gives to a usual audience.
The broad question was left kisses it was—the whole force
of ,the long deice in the man wee ceseeetrated upon
the great toe ; but a different condition prevailed
in the apes, the force of the bug dolor being
in their case divided amongst several toes. Dr.
Darr pretested against the use of the term " garbled
venece," end hoped it wield be withdrawn ; and after some
vuy leaned disquisitions on the great toe of the ape, Mr.
Blake dully consented to withdraw the term, explaining
that only need it la fact in what I suppose must be
termed the Plokwiekian sense.

The great event of the day wee the appearance of Captain
Grant, the discoverer of the sources of the Nile. Here, as
in the case al the meeting at his inception by the Geogra-
phical Society is Loudon. the room was crowded to suffo-
esitissa,and mak um the neutielip to ow the seiremnig tra-
veller that many ladies found their way Ps upper portions
of the adjoining building aed peered through the windows
with the most determined and persevering minority. The
numberof persons who crowded into this section had the
effect of withdrawing many from the other sections ; the
statistical as. especially was almost entirely abandoned,
and Mn Tice, its chairmen, sat for sense part of the day
with the members of the committee only present.
Sir RocirEct Muitcutsou (the president) congratulated
the section very much on having heard from Cantata Grant
• more clear and graphic account of his travels than had
been given to any assembly in the metropolis. He
added that when the gallant Havelock yea advancing
to Cawnpore his rear-guard was harassed, and
suffered peat losses through the proximity of a gun
served by the rebels. This gum did imagoes mischief,
and occasioned considerable loos of life both among
clime end men. (aptaio, the Lieutenant Grant, was
accordingly sent to silence it. Fortunately, be was •
remarkably good shot, and succeeded in kOling the of the
artillerymen at the first diecberge of Ms rifle. His men sup-
plied him with • fresh rifle, and that brought down a second
ranee, and in a few minute. four out of the five artillerymen
who were 'Perkin the piece were pet hors de coastal, and
the rear-grid were saved from aoy further sawyers:le front
that quarter. He (Sir R. Murchison) wag persuaded that,
had General Havelock lived, he would base taken are that
Captain Grant's services on that end other occasions should
have been brought under the notice of the proper authori-
ties, and that he would have received what he
so well deserved—the Victoria Crews. He iSir
Roderick Murchison) bed read • espy of a letter
from Colonel Stisted, the commander of the 78th
Regiment of Highlanders, to which Captain Great
belonged, sod in that letter the colonel stated that there
weasel • finer fellow than Lieutenant Grant in the Indian
army, that the 78th Highlanders were greatly attached
to him, one and all, that his services had been most
emieent, and that he certainly oa that occasion was
the mesas of saving the rear guanl of General Havelock's
Sir Wm. ARMSTRONG mid that every nee present and all
Newcastle sympathised with Captain Greet in his suffer-
hip and moieties* when exploring the African metinent,
sod heartily rejoiced is the great successes which he and his
companion had achieved. it was an honour to have him in
Newcastle as a visitor, and no one 000ld fail to he de-
lighted with the account be had given of his travels and
exploits.
Commodore MAURv said that he perfectly agreed la the
oonsplintsetary allusion which bad been made to Captaia
Grant. He had especially noticed that the captain's mo-
desty had induced him to keep himself as much as pomade
in the background ; that he bad given all the credit to
others, and bad said very little about himself. He earnestly
hoped that his eminent services in Jodie would be rewarded
with the Victoria Crone.

Mr. MAIKRAM then read portions of • letter from Made-
moiselle Tinne, the Pieter of a lady who is sow exploring the
afilsents of the White Nile. a little below Goodokoro.

The PRZSIDENT rid tbat these ladies, being Ter. Elven-
twang and rich, bad furnished a small steamer at Khartum
with the necessary appliances, mud bad reached as far as
Goodokoro before Mr. Baker went there to relieve Captains
Spoke and Grant. He mentioned this fact to the honour
of the bulks in question and to the credit of the sex gene-
rally. They had described their journey with so much vi-
nclty and talent that be hoped before long they would
publish their advectures to the world. He wig quit* suns,
as President of the Royal Geographical &misty, that
although ladies bed not been as yet admitted as members,
they would be the greatest possible disposition to do justice
to the merits of Mademoiselles Tinos, and to place them
on the list of " Fellows."