232 Ufe and Letters of Francis Oalton 



intraracial groups markedly differentiated in mental characters do not give 

 markedly differentiated composite photographs, should not be considered 

 nierelv negative and disaj)poiiiting. It should have been interpreted as a most 

 valuable anthropometric result, namely that mental characters are not highly 

 correlated with external physical characters. That conclusion is confirmed by 

 modern research on (luite different lines; there is little or no correlation 

 between human mentality and external anthropometric characters. I am fully 

 aware that this result cuts directly at the whole of popular belief in 

 physiognomy and phrenology and of the old anatomical ideas of craniometry. 

 But this principle statistically demonstrated will stand, and composite 

 photographs pointed at an earlier date in the same direction. The characters 

 of the mind, the workings of the brain (lej)end in the main upon conmiissures 

 and linkages, matters of a far more subtle nature than the shape of the brain 

 case. Whether the efiiciency of the mind is more clo-sely correlated with the 

 physiological processes of the lx)dy, i.e. with its dynamic qualities, than with 

 its static properties is another question, still sub judice. But one funda- 

 mental result of Galton's introduction of psychometry into anthropometric 

 measurements has been to demonstrate the very small relation of mentality 

 to external bodily characters. It is from this standpoint that Galton's 

 composite photographs did and may still do useful work. 



It may be argued that the American Indian, the Negro and the Western 

 European have as markedly divergent and individual mental characters as 

 they have divergent and individual physical characters (see our p. 81), and 

 that both are inherited within these races of men. That there is mtei'vacial 

 correlation between mental and physical attributes goes without .saying as 

 long fis races are inlired. Pjach race simply transmits its own mentality and 

 its own physique, but that is no proof of a high intraracial correlation 

 between the two. Any geneticist knows how relatively easy it is to separate 

 the mentiil and sujierHcial charact**rs of one breed by crossing it with 

 another, much easier than it is to combine the forelimbs of one breed with 

 the hindlimbs of a second ; the sinq)le rea.son being the relatively high cor- 

 relation of the two nien)lxn"s'. Goring has shown^ that the average criminal 

 is not differentiated markedly from the normal man by his physical characters; 

 in England at any rate he is not the physically anomalous being of the Lom- 

 brosian school of criminologists. 



The non-differentiation in a markedly significsmt manner of the composites 

 of groups selected by mental characters contained a fundamental scientific 

 fact, which has had to wait many yeare for us to grasp its full significance, and 

 will possibly have to wait more years still for its general popular recognition. 



' In breeding several hundred dogs from crosses of Pekingese and Pommeranians, there 

 has only been one instance in which it might l>e supposed tlmt a Pfkingew forelimb was com- 

 bined with a Pomnieranian hiiullinib; but it lias l»<;eii quite possible toolitain a point<?d muzzle 

 and c'hocojat*' rout coinbiiied with the strong nientHl individuiility of the Pekingese. I feel 

 certain that a diflV-rentiation by mental (juaiities of our hybrids would not on composite photo- 

 graphy reprixluce Pomnieranian and Pekingese external cimincterK. 



' TKe Engli'li Cnnrir/ , A Sinii^itrdl Study. l!v rimrli-s (loring, M.D., U.M. Stationery 

 OiBo& 



