Page:The American Journal of Science, series 4, volume 1.djvu/514

476 My own conclusions in regard to this discovery, briefly stated in my review, were as follows:—

"It is only justice to Dr. Dubois and his admirable memoir to say here, that he has proved to science the existence of a new prehistoric anthropoid form, not human indeed, but in size, brain power, and erect posture, much nearer man than any animal hitherto discovered, living or extinct. . . . . . Whatever light future researches may throw upon the affinities of this new form that left its remains in the volcanic deposits of Java during later Tertiary time, there can be no doubt that the discovery itself is an event equal in interest to that of the Neanderthal skull.

"The man of the Neander valley remained without honor, even in his own country, for more than a quarter of a century, and was still doubted and reviled when his kinsmen, the men of Spy, came to his defense, and a new chapter was added to the early history of the human race. The ape-man of Java comes to light at a more fortunate time, when zeal for exploration is so great that the discovery of additional remains may be expected at no distant day. That still other intermediate forms will eventually be brought to light no one familiar with the subject can doubt."

In most scientific quarters, however, both in this, country and in Europe, Dr. Dubois's discovery was not received with great favor, and the facts and conclusions stated in his memoir were much criticised. Among a score or more of notices of this elaborate memoir which appeared subsequent to my review, I do not recall a single one that, in attempting to weigh the evidence presented, admitted the full importance of the discovery made by Dr. Dubois. The early conclusions seemed to be that the various remains discovered were human, and of no great age; that they did not belong to the same individual; that the skull apparently pertained to an idiot; and that both the skull and femur showed pathological features. In fact, the old story of the distrust aroused by the discovery of the Neanderthal skull, nearly forty years before, was repeated, although in a milder form. Dr. Dubois has stated in a late memoir that, with the exception of Professor Manouvrier of Paris and myself, no one else, until very recently, regarded the remains as evidence of a transitional form between man and the apes.

It was a fortunate thing for science that the Dutch government appreciated the importance of the discovery made in its Javanese province by Dr. Dubois, and last summer allowed him to return to Holland and bring with him the precious remains he had found, and so well described. Not only this,