336 The Journal of Heredity 



even if the handicapping were far more chamber is based on primogeniture. 

 substantial than it is, cannot be con- Statistics of the failure of the eldest- 

 sidered to outweigh the national im- born of peers and of the success of their 

 portance of the ])roblem. If this ]3rinei]jle younger brothers might from this stand- 

 of the handicapping of the first-born be point be of real interest.^ The real 

 true, as I have little doubt that it is — argument against an hereditarv chamber 

 and if a similar principle holds for the jg ^^le customary want of hereditarv 

 last-born (to a lesser degree it is true) p^^^^. ^^ -^^ members, i. c, the neglect 

 for some conditions like Mongolian ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^-^^^^^^^ ,^^_ 

 imbecility-what must be the moral of .^ ^^^ ^nd, possiblv. onlv one 

 the present lecture.' vSurelv, that the ^r ^i, i t ^- ^.' ^.- ' ^u 

 bette'i born are the intermediates m °^ ^^^ "^^^>' ^^^^ of distinction-the 

 families from five to eight, and that ^^^ who won the title. As Galton 

 when families are restricted to twos or wrote: An old peerage is a valueless 

 threes or extended to twelves and title to natural gifts, except so tar as it 

 thirteens, there mav be a quite appreci- may have been furbished up by a suc- 

 able tendcnev to increase the proportion cession of wise intermarriages. ... I 

 of the less efficient in the community, cannot think of any claim to respect, 

 I make no pretence at present to asso- put forward in modern days, that is so 

 ciate inferioritv at beginning or end entirely an imposture, as that made by 

 with too young parents or too old parents, a peer on the ground of descent, who 

 I am only aware that we want much has neither been nobly educated, nor 

 fuller data, so that we can correct for has any eminent kinsman within three 

 parental ages at marriage, and for degrees. ' The dearth of ability in the 

 period after marriage of the birth of 'hereditary' peers of the present day 

 each child. We want to study not is largely due to their neglecting mar- 

 only the order and number of children, riage into able stocks, and in some 

 but the interval between their births, cases quite possibly to a succession of 

 "The handicapping of the first-born eldest son inheritance — an evil which 

 is not, as some of my correspondents the whole community may bring upon 

 have supposed, subversive of any faith itself, if it selects its surviving offspring 

 in heredity. It would not even be an in the same restricted manner. To 

 argument "^against an hereditary Upper criticize primogeniture is not to discard 

 Chamber, except in so far as such a heredity." 



s In " Hereditary Genius " Galton presented the following statistics concerning the relative birth- 

 order of the eminent men whom he studied: 



Only sons jl% 



Eldest sons \oo^ 



Second sons ^ 



Third sons ^ 



Later sons '^^ o 



Hotel Accommodations at Berkeley 



Acting on the advice of its California committee, the American Genetic Associa- 

 tion has designated Hotel Claremont, Oakland, California, as ofiicial hea(k]uarters 

 during its annual meeting, August 2-7. This hotel is just across the line from 

 Berkeley, and has excellent transportation facilities to the universil\-. It has 

 accommodations for about 1,000 guests, i^riccs being as follows: 



Single room with bath, $3 per day (s$1.50 if two persons occup\- room). 



Single room without bath, SI per "day; room for two without bath, $1 per person. 



The secretary will be glad to make reservations for members of this association. 

 It is highly important that these should be made as soon as possible. 



