98 ARE THE EFFECTS OF USE INHERITED ? 



is not improbable that after long practice virtuous 

 tendencies may be inherited." " Habits, moreover 

 followed during many generations probably tend 

 to be inherited." 1 This is probable, independ- 

 ently of use-inheritance. The " many generations " 

 specified or implied, will allow time for the 

 play of selective as well as of cumulatively- 

 educative influences. There must apparently 

 be a constitutional or inheritable predisposition 

 or fitness for the habits spoken of, which other- 

 wise would scarcely be continued for many 

 generations, except by the favourably-varying 

 branches of a family : which again is selection 

 rather than use-inheritance. 



Where is the necessity for even the remains 

 of the Lamarckian doctrine of inherited habit ? 

 Seeing how powerful the general principle of 

 selection has shown itself in cases where use- 

 inheritance could have given no aid or must 



1 Descent of Man, pp. 612, 131. 



