Thus it seems that the.shifting of man's birthplace from Asia
to Africa has been somewhat hasty. However, tha discovery is a most interesting and valuable one, and it is clear from other features, such as the jaw and the position of the head, that Australopithecus was distinctly less bestial than any type of ape we know to-day. More than this, it seems difficult to say, at any rate at present, but the field for speculation on the lives of what Mr. William James called " Our half-brutish prehistoric brothers, girdled about with the immense darkness of this mysterious universe," is wide indeed. We have invited our readers to indulge in such speculations by supplying us with a belated epitaph for Australopithecus ; this is the task set in the literary competition for this week. (The terms of the competition are announced on page 250.)
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