FAMILIES OF INFERIOR ABILITY 



361 



A study of the records of 447 criminals showed that among 

 their parents, 10 per cent were criminals, 6 per cent were victims 



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The Herreshoff family is noted for special skill in boat designing and building. Many cup 

 winners have come from their yards, some of which have competed with Sir Thomas Lipton, 

 challenger. The above chart includes one line of descent of the family. The entire genealogy 

 has been traced and is recorded in the Eugenics Record OflSce at Cold Spring Harbor. 



of hysteria, 4 per cent of epilepsy, 15 per cent of alcoholism, and 

 9 per cent of insanity. In a study of the inmates of certain 

 penal institutions, 20 to 30 per cent were found to be mentally 

 subnormal. Some, however, were normal and some very keen. 

 Yet crime and mental deficiency are usually closely related. A 

 criminal type, as such, does not exist. When people of low in- 

 telligence are trying to fill positions which put too great a demand 

 on their mental ability, they frequently lose their positions. Not 

 understanding the cause, and, in some cases, being unable to get 

 work, they remain idle. This makes them desperate and fre- 

 quently leads them into bad and vicious company. When low 

 intelligence is combined with emotional instability, the unfortu- 

 nate persons frequently become wa\^vard and turn to crime. 



From these and similar investigations it has been ascertained 

 that desirable traits in man, such as high intelligence, without 



WH. FITZ. AD. BIO. — 24 



