New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
n.nwn.s DESCENT OF MAN.

Co. ,..-,
We believe thatitisnOw generally admitted among
s,;optife men that the publication OF Darwms
.O;o5n Of species~ has formed epoch in the
,tpdv of natural history. Not that his views nave
MT with universal acceptance, have been placed
bevond the reach Of correction the part of future
ircrrer. for they have been subjected to searching
criticisms bv many eminent scientists; and even
among those who acknowledge the general principle
of evolution his theory of Natural Selection, OF lhe
"survyal Of the httest,' has been regarded as I'M
tenale in several important details, or ncumDereu
with difficulties which have yet found no Vad SOU
ton Still the progress of his theories IN the sceh-
life world has been something marvellous 1hey
have found n reception within the short interval
since their announcement which was not ACCORDED
even 10 Newtonsdoctrineo Of gavtation, or to Rants
anslysis of the conceptions OF time and space. The
rapidity with which they have impressed the minds
of scientific men with a conviction Of their truth Is
indeed probably without parallel in the history OF
lnowlcdge Much of their success may no doubt be
ascnbed to the profound leaning the simple and
earnest tone the transparent candor, and the free
dom from q controversial spirit with which they are
SCI forth by The author His evident love Of truth IS
suited TO diSam prejudice His immense array OF
facts has an imposing character while tie lucid ana
unaffected style Of his composition perpetualy en-
tees She interest OF .ae reader.
Not little curiosity has been awakened with re-
gard 10 the contents Of the present work the purpose
of which is to apply the principles of Natural Selec-
ton 10 tie explanation OF the origin or descent OF
the human race. The main questions to which II Is
devoted relate 20 the gradual evolution OF man, IKE
overy other species from certain pref Xstmg f"rh'
end 90 the manner OF his development. The oohclu-
sion al which the author arrives after long process
Of Investigation is that man is the co-dcscendant
with other species Of some ancient and lower ioIm'
.....f rF gT
records of human experience
The evidence Of the descent OF man from some
lower r is sought ly the aUtlor in the first place
from the correspondence between his physical struc-
ture and thjt Of the lower animals. Man Is con-
,tiuctcd on the same general type with other man.
mails. The bones in his skeleton can be compared
to those in a monkey, bat, and seal 80 1t is with hrs
muscles nerves, blood-yessels and internal visceTa.
Tn brain follows the same law Man is liable to
ceivo certain diseases from The lower animals like
by5rcphobia vaIioa, the Clandels and Others, which
he also communicates to them in return. This fact
proves Tie close similarity Of heir sues and blood,
both in minute s;ructure and composition. Monkeys
ave liable to many Of the same non-contaglous
dis asses that We are One species that carefully
Observed for long time in its native land was found
subject TO catauh, with the usual symptoms ana
which when often Tecuuent led to consumption
They suffered also from apoplexy, inflammation OF
The bowels. and cataract III tine eye Medicines pro-
6rcfd :hc same elect on them as on u.s. Many kinds
ofmoukeys have q strong taste for tea, coffee and
ambitious liquors They viii also, Mr. Darwin has
himself seen, smoke tobacco with pleasure. The
raiycs of no.th-cat.eln Africa catch the wild
I.boons by exposing vessels with suong beer ny
which they are made drunk. These facts prove how
similar are the nerves Of taste IN monkeys ana man,
and bow similarly their whole nervous system is al
fectrd II is, In short, scarcely possible to eXaggeE
Bte the correspondence IN general structure ia inc
minute structure ci the tissues, IN chemical compost
ton, and in constitution between man and thel1eher
mammals especially the antAIoP0m0IiA2us apes
a fact of curious Interest on which Mr. Darwin
dwells at considerable length is the presence in the
higher animals o4 crtain organs iii a radimentary
condition, such as the mau'n@ OF male quadIopeG5'
or the incisOr teeth OF runinantS which never cut
through the gums. RUdimcnts OF various muscles
have been observed in many paris OF The human
body Not q few muscles, which are regularly
present iu some of hC lower animals can occasionally
be detected in man in greatly reduced condition.
The power which many animals especially horses
possess of moving OF twitchiu9 their skim IS due
10 muscle of which the remnants IN an c'hcicnt
sta,e found in various parts oi our boulc'; loI
instance on the forehead by which the eyebrows are
raised. Some persons have the power OF contracting
the superficial muscles on their scalps, and these
muscles are in partially Tudimcntary condition. VI.
dc Cmdole communicated to the author singular
instance of the inheritance Of this power as well as
Of its unusual development. He knows a family in
which one member, the present Aead OF Il IdnIN'
could. when youth pitch several heavy books from
his head by the Of the scalp alone and Ae
won wacers by performing this feat His father,
uncle, grandfather and all his three children pos
sess the same power 10 the same unusual degree.
'Iiis family bacarap divided Cglf generations