TKANSACTIONS OF SECTION H. 831 



It seems to me, then, that the first object to which observation and experiment 

 should be directed is to ascertain how far the qualities which distinguish diiferent 

 races, peoples, castes, and families are congenital and hereditary, and how far the 

 result of education and surroundings. The distinguished President of the Anthro- 

 pological Institute, Mr. F. Galton, has done much to make a beginning of the 

 study of hereditary qualities in man, but there is still much to be done. To begin 

 with very rudimentary facts we hardly know whether courage in man and absence 

 of courage in women are natural or artificial qualities ; whether right-handedness 

 is natural or a very ancient fashion. Coming nearer to modern variations we do 

 not know how far energy, enterprise, constructive power, and all the rest of it are 

 qualities appertaining to particular breeds, like the qualities of pointers or grey- 

 hounds ; or whether they are more the result of education and surroundino's. 

 What is the effect on mind or body of vegetable and animal food respectively, and 

 ■of the use of one stimulant and another ? Why do particular races affect par- 

 ticular stimulants? Why is the Northern European more especially given to 

 spirits, and the Chinese and Indo-Chinese races to opiiun ? Is there anything in 

 the breed that enables Britishers to rule over Hindus, or is it only education ? 

 Why has a Chinaman some virtues which an Irishman has not, and vice versa ? 

 All through the most important inquiry is to sift out those qualities in regard to 

 which we must look to improvement in the breed, and those which more depend 

 on education, so that power may not be wasted by efforts in the wrong direction — 

 by breeding for qualities which already exist or educating where the breed renders 

 a particular education hopeless. 



We must try to learn the direction in which we are to work first, and then the 

 methods by which we may effect improvements in the ascertained direction — 

 whether it be in the direction of breed or in that of education. 



Now to come to the practical modes by which effect might be given to some 

 such ideas as I have ventured to suggest. 



To begin at the beginning, I think that, while so much effort and so much science 

 lave been expended, perhaps not very fi-uctuously, in inquiries into the origin of 

 man, too little systematic attention has been given to the radical differences between 

 the modem man and modern animals. For instance, in the matter of speech no 

 one can doubt that dogs and elephants and seals understand a great deal of lan- 

 guage. One cannot see the individuals of a pack of hounds answer to their names 

 without being satisfied that they not only attach a meaning to a few rude sounds, 

 but can distinguish niceties and refinements of language. Again, we know that 

 parrots and other creatures can speak our language ; but I have never seen the 

 question whether any one creature can both speak and understand thoroughly 

 worked out. Has it been carefully and thoroughly ascertained whether any animals 

 xeaUy cry or laugh ? Sir John Lubbock and others have given attention to the 

 question whether, in habitation-building, and the like, bees and ants exercise an 

 intelligent discretion or follow one unvarying hereditary instinct ; but I do not 

 think any distinct conclusion has been arrived at. Can any monkey or other 

 creature be educated up to the point of putting sticks on a fire and cooking chest- 

 nuts ? I am afraid that on all these subjects there has been nothing but very 

 desultory individual effort. 



Then as regards man-breeding. Probably we have enough physiological know- 

 ledge to effect a vast improvement in the pairing of individuals of the same or allied 

 races if we could only apply that knowledge to make fitting marriages, instead of 

 ^ving way to foolish ideas about love and the tastes of young people, whom we can 

 hardly trust to choose their own bonnets, much less to choose in a graver matter in 

 which they are most likely to be infiuenced by frivolous prejudices. As I am 

 Dot preaching I need say no more on that — all that I could say is self-evident. 

 But when we come to the very important question of the crossing of races there is 

 very great need of scientific observation and experiment. Both the general 

 knowledge that we have of humans and the analogy of animals tend to show the 

 great benefit of the crossing of breeds. Anglo-Saxon is an awkward term. I do not 

 stop to inquire whether it represents two races ; whether the peasant of the Lothians 

 is an Englishman and the peasant of the south of England a Saxon, or why one is 



