HEREDITY AND EVOLUTION 117 



in physique clearly depending on continuous culture 

 of mind, and reacting on mind-life in wonderful ways. 

 But, each individual must gather his own experience, 

 must accumulate his own knowledge, must form his 

 own character. No one can hand on such acquisi 

 tions. Nevertheless, the inheritance of each child, 

 and family group, is largely affected by what the 

 parents have been. We must deduct results of educa 

 tion, always great, whether for weal or for woe ; but 

 after this has been done, heritage counts for much. 

 Speaking with utmost reserve, this must be attributed 

 to the closeness of life-relation between mother and 

 child, as the life of the child represents the union of 

 two hereditary principles. 



When, however, advance is attempted beyond this, 

 we are largely restrained. Evidence becomes greatly 

 restricted. Exceptions are too numerous to sustain a 

 general rule. Granting the value of the evidence 

 which Galton has adduced, it is significant that he 

 should regret the title, Hereditary Genius, explaining 

 that he refers only to natural ability, such as a 

 modern European possesses. 1 In human history, 

 there are two broad lines of fact, which go far to 

 restrain general inference as to heredity in intellectual 

 gift. Genius starts up in many places where 

 hereditary preparation for its appearance is far from 

 manifest. So frequently is this the case, as to suggest 

 that some other law is operating in the history of our 

 race than our records help us to trace. Again, in the 

 family history of the highly gifted, it often happens 

 that children do not illustrate continuity of gift. 

 Facts, sufficiently numerous and noticeable, hamper 



1 Hereditary Genius, 1892, Prefatory Chapter, p. viii., p. x. 



