THE APPLICATION TO MAN 231 



of non-physical traits, in the Jukes pedigree three 

 of the daughters of Max impressed their pecuh'ar 

 moral and mental characteristics in a distinctive 

 way upon their offspring. To quote Davenport : 

 "Thus in the same environment, the descendants of 

 the illegitimate son of Ada are prevailingly criminal ; 

 the progeny of Belle are sexually immoral; and the 

 offspring of Effie are paupers. The difference in the 

 germplasm determines the difference in the prevailing 

 trait." 



5. The Character of Human Traits 



Of the mental, moral, and physical traits which 

 are heritable in man, some must be regarded as 

 generally desirable, some as indifferent, and others 

 as defects to be avoided if possible. In general the 

 majority of human traits, those which together make 

 up man as distinguished from other animals, do not 

 particularly claim the attention because they are so 

 universal. Some which stand out from the mass, 

 such as the physical traits of eye-color and the color 

 and character of hair, may be regarded as indifferent 

 so far as the welfare of the individual is concerned, 

 while others like skin color and certain racial features 

 that characterize particular strains of *' blood" may, 

 under certain circumstances, work a social handicap 

 upon their possessors according to the traditions of 

 the community in which they appear. 



A long list of desirable mental traits miglit be 

 enumerated that seem in a general way to be subject 

 to the laws of inheritance,, although they have not 



