DISTRIBUTION OF INHERITABLE TRAITS 199 



words of Mr. Francis N. Balch are apt here: "I tell you 

 signs are not wanting that if the fine old New England 

 blood despises the ignorant foreigner and stands aloof from 

 him, there will soon be another interesting example of a 

 fine old stock — and our Planters' stock 2^5 a fine old stock, 

 and a sturdy stock, — making a pathetic and unedifying 

 end" (Balch, 1905, p. 22). 



b. The Barrier of the Social Status.— This is important 

 where one social class forms a small portion of the commu- 

 nity, represented by only a few families. I have in mind a 

 group of persons in a small section of Massachusetts afTected 

 by albinism. Probably on this account, together with a 

 mental inferiority, they seem to have been socially ostra- 

 cized by their neighbors and so were obliged to marry each 

 other. In another instance two families standing above the 

 others in the community in progressiveness and wealth have 

 intermarried extensively; almost exclusively. The effect 

 on consanguineous marriage of an isolated position is well 

 shown by the community of Fort Mardick concerning 

 which a valuable monograph has been written by L. and 

 G. Lancry. They say: ''Four families constitute the origin 

 (167C) of the population of Fort Mardick." "This small 

 nucleus was implanted alongside of a population speaking 

 another tongue, having other customs and other occupa- 

 tions than its own, being even more or less hostile to it." 

 To-day, of 300 families 38 bear the name of Everard, of 

 which 9 are Everard-Everard, 36 Hars, 27 Zoonekindt, 24 

 Benard, and so with the other surnames. To avoid inevi- 

 table confusion sobriquets are frequently applied, such as 

 Gros-os, Gros-dos, Bosco, etc. In this community the 

 striking character is sterility. Thus, consanguineous mar- 

 riages are more than twice as apt to be sterile as non- 

 consanguineous (7.5% : 16%); a single child is 2)^ times as 

 common with consanguineous as non-consanguineous mar- 



