From St G. J. Mivart   22 April 1870

My dear Sir,

I have really expressed no opinion as to Man’s origin nor am I prepared to do so at this moment. The diagram in the Pro. Z. Soc. expresses what I believe to be the degree of resemblance as regards the spinal column only. The diagram in the Phil. Trans. expresses what I believe to be the degree of resemblance as regards the appendicular skeleton only.¹

As regards the skull the divergence would be greater than that of the appendicular skeleton in some respects—less in others & not having gone into the question thoroughly I am not able to sketch a diagram on that basis. But if I combined all these we should still have only considered the skeleton & were I to follow this up by a careful comparison of all the organs in all forms we should still only have considered the dead body.

Now I believe fully that this alone being taken into account—& assuming that zoological classification should be Anatomical—Man forms only a family of the higher division of the Primates. But if we introduce into the consideration his intellectual, moral & religious nature I am convinced he differs more from an Anthropoid Ape than such an Ape differs from a lump of granite.

As to the nostrils of the Lemuroidea I do not recollect noticing any exceptional form but it was not a point we went into.²

Buchner’s undifferentiated Ape is unknown to me but I have been months absent & since my return have not looked up any matters connected with Primates other than human.³

Surely such a beast will be found someday—if he has not been found already.

Regretting much that I cannot reply more satisfactorily to your questions & trusting that a visit from you is a pleasure postponed only for a little, I remain, with best regards & wishes | Your’s very sincerely | S^t Geo. Mivart.