EUGENESIC HYBEIDITY. 19 



1 . If among the two primitive races these obtain a very large 

 numerical inequality, the predominant race soon absorbs the 

 other. After two or three generations, the less numerous race 

 counts scarcely one representative^ and the cross-breeds are 

 fused in the more numerous race. The latter thus returns to a 

 state of original purity. The mixed race has only a transitory 

 duration, and leaves no trace of its existence. 



2. If, on the contrary, the two races, though numerically 

 unequal, are in sufficient proportion that neither can absorb the 

 other, both persist indefinitely beside each other upon the same 

 soil. The hybrid race which they engender, seems also to 

 persist indefinitely ; but only in appearance, for they constantly 

 intermarry with the pure races, while the latter marry between 

 themselves. The mixed race gains thus, in every generation, a 

 contingent equal to what it loses, those which represent it at 

 present are not the descendants of those who represented the 

 mixed race five or six generations back. It is not maintained 

 by itself : existing only under the condition of being sustained 

 by the races from which it is issued, and if there arrived a time 

 when it is completely isolated from these two races, and re- 

 duced to its own forces, it would necessarily become extinct 

 after a few generations. 



I might urge some objection against the first point, for it 

 does not seem to me to be demonstrated, that in a mixture of 

 very unequal proportions, the less numerous race exercises no 

 influence upon the other race. I acknowledge, however, that 

 this influence, if it exists, is sufficiently slight to be set aside. 



The second point is much more serious, for if accepted with- 

 out restriction, we must admit that eugenesic hybridity does 

 not exist in mankind, and that all cross-breeds, whatever their 

 origin, whether they are issued from, nearly approaching or dis- 

 tant races, not merely the descendants of whites and negroes, 

 but also of Celts and Kimris, are incapable of engendering a 

 durable posterity. For my part, I believe that such is actually 

 the case with certain mongrel-breeds ; I believe that in the 

 genus Homo, there are very unequal degrees of eugenesic 

 hybridity; but after having recognised that eugenesic hy- 

 bridity does exist between dog and wolf, hare and rabbit, 



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