The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-07-25
- MAN ONLY An IMPROVED
MONKEY
The Link Between Animal Chat
ter and Human speech.

Cincinnati Commercially
LoNDoN. June 23.-Ths week Prof.
Garrod held a reception in the Monkey
House at the geological Gardens, and
dscoursed to the people about the An
thropoid Apes As professor Of the Zoo
logical Society, the Professor stated
that he had dissected seventy apes out of
the anthropoidal class, aud not one of
them exhibited the vermitorm apPendage
of the ctecum, or btind-glt which Is
characteristic Of man. But the anthro-
poids have it quite humanity developed.
The hands and feet of an Ourang recent
" dead were exhibited along with those
Of a man, and exhibited the same struc-
ture The manners and customs OF gor-
ilIas were described from authentic OBJ
servations, and their domestic arrange
ments, their sleeping hammocks and use
of stones in cracking nuts increased the
impression that this animal Is very hu-
man-like, indeed.
Prof Garrod showed that the structur-
al resemblances between the anthropOId
apes and man are so close that the reason
for the mental and moral differences re-
mains still an unsolved problem. Per
haps the most striking and important
norton Of his discussion was thatln which
he proved that the vocal organs of man
are present also in the anthropoId ape.
The ape does not converse, and yet the
difference between his vocal apparatus
and that of man is so infnitesimal as to
defy observation.
Prof Huxley declares that, to his
mind, the only thing that promises to ex-
plain the mental difference between the
anthropod ape and man is the phenOme-
non Of language. language implies con-
sultation. comparison Of experience ne
eessariiv embodies itself in the written
form. becomes the storehouse of facts,
results in differences, and in the wisdom
which can control and modify nature
where the dumb creature Is controlled
and modified by nature. BY the power
IF an intelligent and purposed election
and combination so secured by the ability
to talk, the animal SO endowed might
gradually build up better brain on the
same structure as that possessed by an
animal that could not talk. II 1t should
he ultimately determined by physiolo
oists that there is absolutely no differ
ence between the vocal organs of the an
tbropoid and man, refuge would have to
be taken in the hypothesis that there IS
some point in the animal brain cores
bonding to the vocal rover, which does
not exactly rhyme with the latter in the
anthropoid, but does rhyme with 1t IN
| the man. This on assumption OF
the truth of Prof. Huxley's view Of the
enormous powers set in motion by the
attainment of speech. y little reflection
will show that the probabilities are on
the side of Prof. Huxleys view; and, al
though CARLYLE has decided that per
haps there is not in nsture more dis.
tracted phantasm than your so called
eloquent speaker, 1t IS not unlikely tc
turn out that "talkee- talkee" is the scep-
ire of man on this planet. The dIter
ence between the vocal chords in ordlna
ry animals and in men may be compared
to that between a plain tube and the
mouth piece Of a fageolet. In proper
ton as one end of the tube Is made
smaller YOU may whistle louder through
it, and when it is almost closed, as IN the
flaoeoiet, YOU get a musical voice. The
vocal chords, which run parallel in ami
mails. converge until they almost come
in contact in man; and Prof. GarroC
showed a similar conveyance III the an
thropoid ape But the whole organism is {
region of the utmost delicacy and fineEess
and sincethe experiments of HeImholz on
may understand that difference of ;
hairs BREADTH distance unObservabl
to the eye-might be represented by an en-
tirelv new set Of vibrations, and thes,
might be the very series which brldg
the chasm between the animal chatter
and articulate speech.
It's possib' that Mr. Darwin in his forth
coming Biography of an Infant ma
: throw some light on this general subject
Ever since that careful investigator an
powerful reasoner Published his "Descer
: ofMan," many, who before had suppose
a that all embryonic changes ceased &
birth, have been closely observing tn
e physical progress of their babes. Nj
II Darwin's attention was drawn some yeal
ago to some carefully kept observation
e of the varying sounds and cries whic
, preceded the child's attainment of speec
II the coo, the whine, the hiss, and so c
{ and that the great evolutionlst the
/ thought the subject of Importance and
l. comparison of similar observations d.
= sirable.