THE REPRODUCTION OF LIFE. 93 



not be bobtailed, yet if this process is continued 

 for several generations until the function of the 

 tail is destroyed, the tail will no longer be- -trans- 

 mitted. Whereas, mutilation that does not de- 

 stroy the function is not transmitted. For in- 

 sance, it is well known that the Chinese babe does 

 not inherit the (artificially produced) small foot 

 of its mother. This is because the function of the 

 foot is not destroyed by its restricted growth. If Foot, 

 the Chinese women were to stop using their feet 

 and continue the mutilation, or restriction of 

 growth, it would be but a very few generations 

 until the dwarf foot would become hereditary. 



Waiving all further consideration as to how 

 the father and mother each builds into the half of 

 a soul all of his or her physical, mental or moral 

 peculiarities, the fact that they do so makes 

 parentage sublime with possibilities and awful 

 with responsibilities. 



