138 FOOT-NOTES TO. EVOLUTION. 
This formula may be translated into intelligibility as 
follows: Richard Roe has the sum of species characters: 
race characters; one unequal fourth of father’s pecul- 
iarities; one unequal fourth of mother’s peculiarities; 
one sixteenth of paternal grandfather’s peculiarities; 
one sixteenth from maternal grandfather; one sixteenth 
from each grandparent; one sixty-fourth from each 
great-grandparent, etc.; an unknown part of the gain 
through the father’s activity; an unknown part of gain 
through the mother’s activity ; an unknown part of loss 
the idleness or non-development of each; an unknown 
chance through prenatal influences received through 
the mother; the whole multiplied or divided by the 
influences arising from transmission or early nutrition 
and to be modified in every part by the fact that he 
is a man. 
But these symbols indicate only potentialities. These 
make up the architect’s plan on which his life is to be 
built. The plan admits of much play 
for deviation. Every wind that blows 
will change it a little. These elements 
themselves are of varied character. They do not be- 
long together nor are they held in place, so far as we 
know, by any “ego” except that made by the cell alli- 
ance on which they depend. Some of these elements 
the experiences of life will tend to reduce or destroy. 
Some of them will be systematically fostered or checked 
by those who determine Richard Roe’s early environ- 
ment. The final details will be beyond prediction. 
The ego or self in the life of Richard Roe is the sum 
of his inheritance, bound together by the resultant of 
the consequences of the thoughts and deeds which have 
been performed by him and perhaps by others also. 
Thus each day in his life goes to form a link in the 
chain which binds his conscious processes together. The 
Potentialities 
not character. 
