i860 1882] DESCENT OF MAN 43 



To Francis Gallon. Letter 412 



Down, Jan. 4th, 1873. 



Very many thanks for Fraser : l I have been greatly 

 interested by your article. The idea of castes being 

 spontaneously formed and leading to intermarriage 2 is quite 

 new to me, and I should suppose to others. I am not, 

 however, so hopeful as you. Your proposed Society 3 would 

 have awfully laborious work, and I doubt whether you 

 could ever get efficient workers. As it is, there is much 

 concealment of insanity and wickedness in families ; and 

 there would be more if there was a register. But the 

 greatest difficulty, I think, would be in deciding who deserved 

 to be on the register. How few are above mediocrity in 

 health, strength, morals and intellect ; and how difficult 

 to judge on these latter heads. As far as I see, within the 

 same large superior family, only a few of the children would 

 deserve to be on the register ; and these would naturally stick 

 to their own families, so that the superior children of distinct 

 families would have no good chance of associating much and 

 forming a caste. Though I see so much difficulty, the object 

 seems a grand one ; and you have pointed out the sole 

 feasible, yet I fear Utopian, plan of procedure in improving 

 the human race. I should be inclined to trust more (and this 

 is part of your plan) to disseminating and insisting on the 

 importance of the all-important principle of inheritance. I 

 will make one or two minor criticisms. Is it not possible that 



1 " Hereditary Improvement," by Francis Galton, Eraser's Magazine, 

 Jan. 1873, p. 116. 



2 " My object is to build up, by the mere process of extensive enquiry 

 and publication of results, a sentiment of caste among those who are 

 naturally gifted, and to procure for them, before the system has fairly 

 taken root, such moderate social favours and preference, no more no 

 less, as would seem reasonable to those who were justly informed of the 

 precise measure of their importance to the nation " (loc. cit., p. 123). 



3 Mr. Galton proposes that " Some society should undertake three 

 scientific services : the first, by means of a moderate number of influential 

 local agencies, to institute continuous enquiries into the facts of human 

 heredity ; the second to be a centre of information on heredity for 

 breeders of animals and plants ; and the third to discuss and classify the 

 facts that were collected" (loc. cit., p. 124). 



