Genre:

Drama, Satire

Subjects:

Human Species, Evolution, Animal Behaviour, Class

    Represents 'Acute and Obtuse Swells' discussing Richard Owen's paper on 'Anthwopomawfus Apes' at the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, a version of which later appeared as Owen 1855. Acute explains to Obtuse that an anthropomorphous ape is one that resembles man insofar as it has such gentlemanly features as a 'exquisitely arranged' moustache, and a 'fautless' tie. Acute tries to convince Obtuse that the ape to which Owen was probably referring was one that wears a red jacket, drinks claret, gambles, amuses itself backstage in a theatre, and chatters about its pastimes. The complacent Acute and the incredulous Obtuse conclude that they must be the species of ape discussed by Owen.