96 A NEW THEORY OF EVOLUTION. 



the average does not exceed three consecu- 

 tive generations, and that their descendants 

 if they have any sink below it. These 

 conclusions point to a natural law, that dif- 

 ferences among individuals of the same race 

 or family oscillate round an average type of 

 that race or family, and that the oscillation 

 above the average is complete in three gen- 

 erations. 



The average of a type may be raised by 

 improving the conditions of life of the mass 

 of its members, but the average only ap- 

 proaches nearer to the maximum the maxi- 

 mum itself cannot be raised. 



In all this we cannot find any support to 

 the hypothesis, that beneficial differences are 

 accumulated indefinitely, and become specific 

 variations. On the contrary, all statistics 

 confirm our previous conclusions, that the 

 accumulation of beneficial differences does 

 not go on indefinitely that the maximum 

 is reached within three generations, and that 

 retrogression then follows. 



When we try to imagine the results to 

 mankind, if intellect or physical strength 

 accumulated in a family if, for example, 

 the genius of a Napoleon, or the strength of 

 a Sandow, accumulated in their descendants 



