The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-22

agascar. New Guinea, and the West indies.
Moreover, no ape IS found oven in the most
is the more remarkable that no ape should be
found IN tho great Island Of Madagascar SO
homo of those hsasts, before referred to.
named lemnrs. which have generally been
supposed to be very closely related 70 tho apes.
In one or two of the Wost Indian islands mon-
keys have been introduced and have run wild.
showing that they could very well have lived
there had they been able to enter the Antilles
without the aid Of man. Trinidad is not u West
Indian island. II is detached portion of the
Sonth American continent.
As to past time. we have ms yet so far as We
know. no certain evidence Of the OK istence of
apes ancredcnt 10 tho miocena period. This
fact, however. cannot he deemed decisive cvi-
dence Of their non. oNistcnro, for they are not
animals very likely To leave many traces of
their past existence since their Dowers OF climb.
ing give them exceptional facilities in escap-
Ing any e. od. that cause, Of death and speedy
they are sure TO DO quickly deVOured by some
cHrnivGfSnS anmH,7 or GaFfIom Seders, and
has led the lllndooS 10 believe that they bury
their dead.
We come now to the question concerning the
existence Ot any special resemblance OF these
animals TO some other gwen order OF beasts.
Thus Is a problem by no means easy 10 answer.
AZ We have said. apes are commonly thought
|" be more nearly approached by the lemurs,
but the advance. % anatomical knowledge
hardly iaVOrs that Wow such resemblance Is
mainly duo to tho formation OF the eNtrcmitles.
Lcmurs, with one exception certainly have
hands and feet. lut opossums have feet
with oppOsahle great toes. and yer no one sup
poses That lhGro is even the faintest special
affinity hotwern an ape and an opossum. in
brain structure and ia tho more intimate proc
eSSeS OF reproduction generally doomed
valuable tost Of affinity the apes and lemurs
stand far apart; and on the pr nciples or
evolution We arc, convinced that there can be
no close reat tonship between them, although
y has been hastily assumed that lemurs were
tho direct ancestors Of apes. Apes in the
illogical island. and We have no clear evidence
indicating from what neignDoring strand they
Their origin thus still remains wrapped In
mystery. Nor Is it clear thar the apes of the
New World and those OF the Old ever had
any ape ancestors common TO both. Possi-
bly, further discoveries IN the miocene or
eocene deposits of North America (which are
such yeritahle treasure houses OF relies OF an
of transitional forms ho;weon the monkeys of
America and OF Asia and Africa: but. In spite
OF all that has been published, this. has not. to
possible that those two families have had
different origins. and nave come 10 re-
semitic, each, other lndGnendsntly. The
OF similar structures + a dootrlns
we mnintniuol IN tho llrst work We eyer pub
lished, and Increased knowledge and ,experi-
were right IA maintaining H. To this ques-
ton however wo pronose TO return In q future
article concerning animals II which Il is more
creatures with which wo havQ boon here con-
eernod. ligt whether tho monkeys now exist
single or biiold origin, thore can be no ques-
ton but that they together constitute one very
distinct and natural group, Groun which. ON
close resemblance to ourselves OF the creatures
which cOmpoBe IL, must be ranked as conBti-
tuting the highest order OF animals which or.
st or, SO far as We know, have ever excited.
81. GEoRGE MIVAlI.