428 HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 



would be visited upon the children of the nth 

 generation. Such a policy of concealing weak- 

 ness by mating it with strength is wholly com- 

 parable with the custom once prevalent of 

 concealing cases of contagious diseases, and 

 may be properly characterized as the "ostrich 

 policy." 



After all in the choosing of mates a combi- 

 nation of instinct and intelligence is probably 

 the safest guide. Our instincts, built up 

 through long ages, are generally adaptive and 

 useful, and if they be guided by reason the re- 

 sult is apt to be better than if either instinct or 

 reason act alone. More need not be said on 

 this subject, since it is treated ad infinitum in 

 works of fiction and in ladies' journals. 



4. Contributory Eugenical Measures. — In 

 addition to the negative and positive eugenical 

 measures mentioned many conditions may be 

 classed as contributary to eugenics. One of 

 the most important of all contributary meas- 

 ures is the general education of the people re- 

 garding heredity. The general ignorance on 

 this subject is profound and very many offen- 

 ders against the principles of good breeding 



