316 
wall, A race in which a high level of physical vitality is main- 
tained by a constant struggle for existence, under arduous but 
healthy conditions—a race able to subsist on a sparing quantity 
of food from the same cause—a race unaffected by so-called 
civilization—and a race sufficiently prolific withal, is the one 
which is destined to occupy the place of the European. Strange 
as it may seem, the Chinese appear to be fitted for the work. 
SuppLeMENTARY Nore. 
[As the whole of the foregoing paper is directly opposed to 
the theory of the non-heredity of what are called acquired 
characters, it is advisable that I should briefly notice some of 
the points of this theory as put forward by Weismann* and 
Wallace.t 
In the first place Weismann confounds under the heading 
of “acquired characters”? what I have separated as Abnormal 
variations (mutilations) and as developmental variations. This 
seems to me a considerable mistake; for there is a great differ- 
ence between them. Mutilations may not be inherited—a 
view to which Ammonites lend support; but this is no evidence 
that developmental variations—reactions to the stimulus of 
environment—are not inherited. A mutilation could only be 
inherited by a great violation of the law, which may be stated as 
“like breeds like stage for stage,’ or ‘“‘ontogeny repeats 
ontogeny” (p. 269); and it would therefore be an abnormal 
variation. For instance, the young are born with a tail, and 
this is amputated so many, say six, hours or days after birth.{ 
If their young shewed no tail, ontogeny would not have repeated 
ontogeny, which is the normal rule; because these young ought 
to have a tail which ought to come off six hours or days after 
* “ Hssays on Heredity’ English Translation. Oxford, 1889. 
+ Wallace, Darwinism. It may be noted that the last chapter of this 
work (p, 461 et seg) really furnishes the strongest arguments in favour of the 
ideas of this paper, and against the Weismann theory, It is a strongly-written 
essay, shewing that the intellectual qualities of Man cannot have been due to 
the agency of Natural Selection. The author’s explanation of their origin is 
very interesting as a relic of pre-Darwinian ideas, From a sentimental point of 
view it is ingenious ; but as a scientific theory it is illogical and unconvincing, 
~ The tails of lambs are usually amputated about two months after birth ; 
though some farmers do it a very few days after. 
