Fischer: Racial H^•r.RlI)IZATIOI 



46' 



sible on the same formula. By back 

 crossing of equal degree with Europeans 

 and Hottentots, the whole population 

 must be the equivalent of an F2 genera- 

 tion, that is, one-fourth straight-haired 

 and three-fourths wavy-haired. The 

 reality (71:228) accords satisfactorily 

 with this expectation. Davenport's 

 discovery is also confirmed, that the 

 hair-form Mendelizes with the forma- 

 tion of an intermediate type in the 

 heterozygotes, among whom straight hair 

 is recessive and curly hair dominant. 



The figures for light and dark e^'cs 

 also accord with the Mendelian expec- 

 tation demonstrated by G. and C. 

 Davenport and Hurst. 



It is evident that the relative breadth 

 of the skull follows Mendel's law; and 

 none of the other dimensions of the 

 face seem to be inherited in an inter- 

 mediate stage. 



The appearance of the eye also closely 

 conforms to the Mendelian expecta- 

 tion, 25% being oblique and 75% level. 

 The proportion in single families is close 

 enough to these figures to be considered 

 confirmatory. 



The small, high form of nose seems 

 to dominate the low, broad one. The 

 feminine appearance of the faces of 

 the mongrels seems to be due to the 

 independent inheritance of unit charac- 

 ters. 



Proof that the investigator's views 

 as to dominants and recessives are well 

 founded, is furnished by the first genera- 

 tion hybrids — that is, the product of 

 marriages between white men and Hot- 

 tentot women. Fischer could not find 

 many such children, but an examination 

 of those whom he did discover satisfied 

 him that the theoretical expectation was 

 fulfilled; as did the results of crossing 

 back, between mongrels and either one 

 of the parent races. 



ONE LAW FOR ALL LIVING CREATURES. 



He is thus convinced that for a long 

 list of characters the mechanism of 

 heredity is the same when races of man- 

 kind are crossed as when breeds of live- 

 stock and varieties of plants are hybri- 

 dized. 



The increased stature of the hybrids 

 is probably explainable through the 



well-known vigor resulting from cross- 

 ing, although it can not always ,be 

 determined that such a result is not 

 due to the environment. Perhaps the 

 vitality and low death-rate of the 

 hybrids is explainable on the latter 

 basis, since it is in decided contrast to 

 the observed result in other cases (for 

 example, the mulattoes resulting from 

 a cross of English end negroes), where 

 the power of resistance seems to be 

 lowered by the cross. At present we can 

 not account for the fact observed by 

 Hagen among Tamil-Malay metis, and 

 by Fischer among the subjects of the 

 present book, that the countenances of I 

 the hybrids are longer than those of' 

 either parent race. It is possible that 

 we are justified in suspecting a correla- 

 tion with the increased bodily vigor. 



The fecundity of the hybrids appears 

 not in the least to be diminished. It 

 does not seem possible to pass dogmatic 

 judgment on the fecundity of racial 

 crosses in general. It is only certain 

 that all races are fertile with each other, 

 that the hybrids are fertile with either 

 one of the parent races — although it is 

 questionable still whether the fertility 

 may not be diminished ; that the hybrids 

 are fertile inter se, although in many 

 cases the fecundity seems to be dimin- 

 ished; and finally, that the factors on 

 which this result depends, are unknown 

 to us. 



Another chapter takes up the ques- 

 tion whether a new race can be formed 

 through crossing. The first generation 

 hybrids are certainly not a new race, 

 but merely a patch-work of charac- 

 teristics inherited from their parents. 

 But in a later generation appearances 

 are very different. As the unit charac- 

 ters are separately inherited, the chance 

 for a given individual to inherit all or 

 most of those of one of the parental 

 races becomes steadily smaller. The 

 characteristics of the parent races, 

 therefore, are still present after any 

 number of generations, but the resem- 

 blance of individuals to either parent 

 race has become less (excluding, for 

 the moment, all questions about the 

 influence of environment). When a 

 hybrid population has once become 

 established it therefore remains con- 



