I write to lay before your Society a proposal which I hope you will
recommend to them for their earnest consideration. May I say first
that I know the Society’s Gardens well, and much admire them? The
grounds are spacious, and the arrangement of the houses is at the
same time practical and convenient. In them there are specimens of
practically the whole fauna of the terrestrial globe, only one
mammalian of real importance being unrepresented. But the more I
have thought over this omission, the more extraordinary has it
appeared to me. To leave out man from a collection of the earth’s
fauna is to play Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark. It may seem
unimportant at first sight, since the collection is formed for man
to look at, and study. I admit that human beings are to be seen
frequently enough walking about in the Gardens, but I believe that
there are convincing reasons why the Society should have a specimen
of the human race on exhibition.
Firstly, it would complete the collection, and, secondly, it would
impress upon the mind of the visitor a comparison which he is not
always quick to make for himself. If placed in a cage between the
Orang-outang and the Chimpanzee, an ordinary member of the human
race would arrest the attention of everyone who entered the Large
Ape-house. In such a position he would lead to a thousand
interesting comparisons being made by visitors for whose education
the Gardens do in a large measure exist. Every child would grow up
imbued with the outlook of a Darwin, and would become aware not
only of his own exact place in the animal kingdom, but also in what
he resembled, and in what he differed from the Apes. I would
suggest that such a specimen be shown as far as possible in his
natural surroundings as he exists at the present time, that is to
say in ordinary costume, and employed in some ordinary pursuit.
Thus his cage should be furnished with chairs and a table and with
bookcases. A small bedroom and a bathroom at the back would enable
him to retire when necessary from the public gaze. The expense to
the Society need not be great.
To show my good faith I beg to offer myself for exhibition, subject
to certain reservations which will not be found of an unreasonable
nature.