2o8 TRANSMISSION OF ACQUIRED CHARACTERS 



Brewer [cit. Cope, 1896, pp. 426-30) relates that about 1818 

 the record speed of the trotting horse was 3 min. to the mile ; 

 in 1824 it was reduced to 2 min. 34 sec. ; in 1848, to 2 min. 

 30 sec. ; in 1868, to 2 min. 20 sec. ; in 1878, to 2 min. 16 sec. ; 

 in 1888, to 2 min. 11 1 sec. ; and finally to 2 min. 10 sec. 

 " The gain in speed has been cumulative. ... It has gone 

 on along with systematic exercise of special function in 

 successive generations ; . . . there is nothing that would lead 

 us to even suspect that the changes due to exercise of function 

 had not been a factor in the evolution ; . . . there is every 

 appearance and indication that the changes acquired by 

 individuals through the exercise of function have been to some 

 degree transmitted, and have been cumulative, and that this 

 has been one factor in the evolution of speed." 



It is impossible to prove the negative above suggested — 

 namely, that function has not been a factor ; but the affirmative 

 position is robbed of all cogency by the admitted occurrence of 

 rigorous artificial selection. The improvement supposed to be 

 entailed may not have been a modification at all ; but, supposing 

 it was, the interpretation of the result simply by the hypothesis of 

 use-inheritance gives a false simplicity to the case. It overlooks 

 the selective breeding which increases the constitutional swiftness, 

 and the process of elimination which persistently weeds out the 

 less swift from the stud. And even apart from artificial selection 

 and elimination there may be a progressively cumulative suc- 

 cession of variations making for greater and greater swiftness. 

 We may even picture how this might come about, if we adopt 

 Weismann's conception of germinal selection. 



Case of Squatting Punjabis. — It has been stated that the 

 Punjabis of India show certain peculiarities of musculature and 

 skeleton which are associated with the frequency with which 

 these people assume on all possible occasions the squatting 

 posture. It is asserted that the peculiarities of structure are 

 due to the peculiarities of function, but this requires definite 



