INTERMINGLING OF RACES 257 



The difficulty with using these data as actual support 

 of the hypothesis under consideration comes from the 

 fact that the amount of hybridization appears to be about 

 the same in various peoples who differ greatly in their 

 contributions to civilization. This may mean that the 

 strains supposedly lower in ability have potentialities not 

 yet realized, or it may mean inherent differences in the 

 original constituent parts. This much seems to be true, 

 however. The great individuals of Europe, the leaders 

 in thought, have come in greater numbers from peoples 

 having very large amounts of ethnic mixture. Even the 

 Scandinavians, a relatively pure strain of the stock to 

 which much of the greatness of Germany, England and 

 even France is supposed to be due, have been somewhat 

 behind these peoples in the production of constructive 

 leaders. Is it not a fair assumption that the backward- 

 ness of Spain and Ireland is due to their relative isola- 

 tion! Is it not because the waves of migration were 

 nearly spent before they reached these lands' ends? 



Contrast the people in the United Kingdom, more 

 particularly the natives of the south and west of Ireland, 

 with those of Scotland and England. In proportion to 

 their numbers no modern people has approached the Eng- 

 lish and Scotch in number of illustrious men or in height 

 of creative ability except the French ; the true Irish have 

 hardly a single individual meriting a rank among the 

 great names of history, or a contribution to literature, 

 art, or science of first magnitude. 



The Irish are supposed to have arisen somewhat as 

 follows (Ripley,^^^ MacNamara ^^^). In the early quater- 

 nary period, western Europe and northern Africa were 

 occupied by an extremely low type of being of Mongolian 

 17 



