208 Mulattos [CH. 



mony and tradition have to be appealed to, that the 

 characteristic should be a definite one about which mistakes 

 could scarcely occur. It is necessary also that the feature 

 should not be dependent on external influences. For 

 example, in many families a crooked little finger is common. 

 This peculiarity may descend both through the affected and 

 through the unaffected, but the affection, I believe, is like 

 that seen in chickens whose feet may be deformed through 

 weakness. In some families such chickens occur commonly, 

 but with much greater frequency when the incubators have 

 been working badly, a fact which suggests that it is the 

 disposition to the peculiarity which is transmitted, not the 

 peculiarity itself. Probably the crooking of the little finger 

 is an expression of a certain weakness, which if circum- 

 stances are favourable need not become apparent. Pedigrees 

 of such peculiarities cannot be expected to give results of 

 much positive value. 



As to the results of inter-crossing between distinct races 

 of mankind there exist, so far as I am aware, no records of 

 that critical and minute sort which are alone of value for the 

 adequate study of Mendelian inheritance. For example, 

 the statement has been repeatedly made that the mulatto 

 formed between the European and the Negro breeds true 

 to an intermediate type, but we still await precise data in 

 support of this statement. It may well be that there is no 

 sensible segregation in regard to colour in that case, and 

 certainly many intergrading colours exist, but there is no 

 material yet upon which a definite pronouncement can be 

 made. As regards length and curliness of hair, indeed, I 

 anticipate from casual observation that the consequences of 

 segregation could be made evident without very much 

 difficulty. With regard to skin-colour the general trend of 

 evidence is in favour of the conclusion that if definite 

 determining factors are responsible for the colour seen, the 

 number of such factors or of their subtraction-stages must 

 be considerable. A point not to be forgotten is the diversity 

 not only of the negro races, but of the white population, 

 from which the mulattos arise. 



From such information as I have been able to glean 

 from travellers I am disposed to think that in the crosses 

 between white races and the inhabitants of India there are 



