HEREDITARY TRAITS. 229 



of each nation, and their relationships, predict in many cases, 

 not that any given child would prove a genius, but that some 

 one or other of a family would probably rise to distinction. 

 To predict the advent of a man of great genius a.s we predict 

 the approach of an eclipse or a transit, will doubtless never be 

 in men's power ; but it is conceivable that at some perhaps not 

 very remote epoch, anticipations may be formed somewhat 

 like those which astronomers are able to make respecting 

 the recurrence of meteoric showers at particular times and 

 seasons, and visible in particular regions. Already we know 

 so much as this, that in certain races of men only can special 

 forms of mental energy, like special bodily characteristics, be 

 expected to appear. It may well be that hereafter such 

 anticipations may be limited to special groups of families. 



When we pass from mental to moral qualities, we find 

 ourselves in the presence of problems which could not be 

 thoroughly dealt with in these pages. The general question, 

 how far the moral characteristics of each person born into 

 the world depends on those of the parents, or more generally 

 of the ancestry, is one involving many considerations which, 

 perhaps unfortunately, have been associated with religious 

 questions. And apart from this, the answers to this question 

 have been found to have a very wide range from the 

 opinion of those who (like Miss Martineau) consider that our 

 characters, even where they seem to undergo changes resul- 

 ting from the exercise of will, are entirely due to inheritance, 

 to the view of those who consider, like Heinroth, that no 

 moral characteristic can possibly be regarded as inherited in 

 such sort as to modify either responsibility for evil-doing or 

 credit for well-doing. Probably most will be content to 

 accept a view between these extremes, without too nicely 

 considering how far moral responsibility is affected by the 

 influence of inherited tendencies. 



There are, however, some illustrations relating to excep- 

 tional habits, which may be mentioned here without 

 bringing in the general question. 



I have not referred to insanity in speaking of inherited 



