INHERITANCE OF SPECIAL TRAITS: NOMADISM. 



31 



TABLE 9. Summary of Table 8. 



SOURCE OF NOMADISM IN NAVAL OFFICERS. 



Nomadism is a trait which leads its possessor to restlessness, change 

 of scene, travel. The manifestation of this trait is often periodic. It is 

 shown more in early than later life. Typical nomads, like gypsies and 

 Bedouins, are satisfied with roaming over the land; the "sea rovers" have, 

 there is reason for thinking, another and different instinct: a love of the 

 sea, thalassophilia. That these two instincts are distinct is shown by the 

 fact that many sea rovers have a distaste for travel on land, or at least find 

 little satisfaction on it. Foote wanted to go to sea against his parents' 

 wishes and was entered at West Point as a compromise; but this did not 

 satisfy, so he transferred to the navy. 



Nomadism appears to be a simple "unit character" whose germinal 

 determiner is sex-linked, i. e., is found only in such sperm cells as produce 

 female offspring. This matter has already been worked out at the Eugenics 

 Record Office (Davenport, 1915). 



Since nomadism is an important element that leads to a naval (as 

 well as to a military) career, it is interesting to inquire whether, in the 

 mass, there is any difference between males and females in the tendency to 

 have naval sons. To make the comparison we must consider in parallel 

 columns the distribution of occupations in the sons of persons who hold 

 exactly similar relationship to the propositus. An attempt has been made 

 to do this in table 8. 



