498 Animal Life and Intelligence. 



nations, that community is most likely to be successful in 

 which there is rational guidance. No doubt, during the 

 earlier phases of the development of man on our islands, 

 the elimination of the irrational was a factor in progress. 

 But if we take the last three centuries of English history, I 

 doubt whether it can be shown that there has been much 

 elimination determined by the relative absence of conceptual 

 ideas and emotions. 



Human selection has been a much more important 

 factor. Those individuals which showed the higher types 

 of intellectual thought have been constantly selected. 

 Riches, rank, and social position have been bestowed upon 

 them. Of course, there have been exceptions; great in- 

 tellects have been allowed to languish in their lifetime, 

 and have only obtained recognition through their works 

 after death. But every day there is less chance of a genius 

 dying in a garret. And the best intellects, being thus 

 selected and chosen out from among their fellow-men, form 

 to some extent a distinct social class. Segregation is thus 

 effected ; and intermarriage takes place within this in- 

 tellectual caste, with the result that the conditions are 

 eminently favourable for the inheritance of intellectual 

 qualities. 



Now, is this process of selection of the intellectual, this 

 segregation into a caste, and the inheritance of innate 

 intellectual qualities sufficient to account for the facts of 

 intellectual progress ; or must we call in to our aid the 

 inheritance of individual increments ? I confess I cannot 

 say. Direct and satisfactory evidence, one way or the 

 other, is almost impossible to obtain. 



Must we, then, leave the question undecided ? I think 

 we must so far as direct evidence is concerned. I may 

 have a general belief that there has been some transmission 

 of acquired increment of intellectual faculty. But unless I 

 can substantiate it by definite facts, I cannot expect to con- 

 vince any one who holds the opposite view. And definite 

 facts of sufficient cogency I am unable to adduce. It is 

 practically impossible to exclude the influence of human 



