HEREDITY 1 1 1 



absence or presence of such traits as generosity, 

 meanness, secretiveness, frankness and other 

 qualities. It is necessary to warn against all such 

 statements because these characteristics and many 

 others are the common possession of mankind and 

 all that heredity can be held responsible for is the 

 degree or intensity of such traits. Heredity is 

 thus the name under which are grouped the qual- 

 ity of the several traits of a man and not their 

 absence or presence. Under this topic are assem- 

 bled the influences of the past through the immedi- 

 ate and remote ancestors as they reach out of the 

 past and lay a firm hand on the present. 



Heredity is further to be distinguished from 

 the congenital features which frequently occur. 

 These are modifications which arise during the for- 

 mation of the embryo such as birth-marks, hair-lip 

 and similar deformities. Owing to the tendency 

 to confuse "inherited" and "congenital," some 

 prefer to substitute pathological for congenital, 

 thus avoiding all possibility of misunderstanding. 

 In marked contrast to heredity stand the ac- 

 quired modes of response which develop after the 

 animal is born and begins reacting to its environ- 

 ment. These culminate in habits and are really 

 secondary to the hereditary qualities. It is only a 

 short time with the young animal or child before 

 these two fields overlap and it soon becomes 

 difficult to draw a sharp distinction between them. 



