New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-10

sstls tina generai heaitb character and intellect.
Resween Two youths OF equal personal merit. one
b.,ono;no In thriving, long lived family and the
other 70 an -decayng race, the preference un
orastouably should be given to the first az aito-
sstber the most likely to have tho stamina 70 MAKE
n ussful man. No doubt much cautious STUDY
would be needed before 1t could be decided wnss
Inherited qualities should be considered ln sucn
te.ts and how the data for them should be gath
cred. But the difficulties are not insuperaDie'
And If family merit however defined, was al
lowed to count. for however little, in competitive
examinations the effect would be very great. IL
would show that ancestral qualities are OF presen'
current value 1t would give An impetus 10 Collect
ing family histories. II would open, the eyes Oh
every family and of society at large to the inpoI
lance of marriage alliance with good stock' ~
would introduce the subject OF race INTO POT
manent tonic of consideration. Any act which first
pives n genuine stamp to the sterling guineas
worth of natural ability might set o great social
avalanche in notion" In another section Mr.. Uai-
ton shows how the public recognition OF a naturai
nobility would engender new family prids. ana
persons aware that they are tendowed with the
power of transmitting valuable hereditary gus
vould shrink from squandering their future chill
dren's patrimony by making alliances with persons
of lower natural stamp. Just as In families possess
able pride which shrinks from alternating the OH
place or degrading the old blood.
The processes of reasoning by which the concius-
ions We have indicated and the Others which must
remain unnoticcd have been reached are Interest
ing without exception. Modcsty, sincerity and dis
ciplin.d power Of observation are qualities when
every reader will feel compelled to ascribo 10 tue
author of these inquiries and his style Is sngulary
fresh and clear. Many Of the paragraphs close
with some striking illustration which ID itself an
argument and leaves vivid impression OF the rea-
soning and its results upon the memory For ex-
ample, the discussion OF the comparative influence
of early teaching and natural tendencies concludes
az follows: sConsider the history OF the cuckoo,
which is reared exclusively by foster-mothers 1t
ia probable that nearly every young cuckoo during
a series Of many hundred generations has been
brought MP in a family whose language 10 a chirp or
a tvitter. But the cuckoo cannot will not adopt
that language or any of the habits of its foster
parents 1t leaves its birthplace soon as 1t is able
and finds out its own kith ana kin, and identihes
itself henceforth with them. so utterly are its
earliest instructions in an alien bird language neg
lected and so completely is the new education N.e,
that in accordance with it's natural aptitudes) sue
cossfu that the note of the cuckoo tribe is singu-
larly correct"
OF course the inquiries relate chiefly to innate
m oral and mental faculties, but THESE can hafuy
be examined without takiDg into account physician
traits and therefore much space is given to the sub
iect of composite pOrtraiture process by which
types of faces are compounded Of many others, as
for instance members Of the same family are COM
binod to form the family face. In the same way
criminal types, race types. consumptive types and
80 Oh are portrayed. These pictures in connection
with various tests OF the and anthropometric
registers are shown to be Of great value Ia prepar
ing the lite history medical and other Of families,
and Mr.. Gallon insists that it Is natural birth
right of every child 10 have as full knowledge OF
his ancestry as can be compiled from careful col
lection of data for three or four generations. 10
many readers the record Of the psycnometric expcr
iments devised by the author to enable him to
watch his mind while IN operation, will prove the
most attractive part of the work. But there is not
dub page 10 the book and altogether 1t will help
to sustain Mr. Cations reputation 'as standing
among the very foremost In this field Of study.