The Inheritance of Mental Characters

MR. WALKER sent me, before publication, the letter which appeared in NATURE of November 23. In reply I explained that, though I have insisted elsewhere that the words inborn, acquired, and inheritable are often incorrectly used, yet in my paper to the Eugenics Education Society I did not define the meanings of them, partly because my space was limited and partly because I thought no misapprehension could arise in the minds of my audience. None did arise. But I learn, with surprise, that some would have arisen had my critic been present. I used the words exactly as they are commonly used in biological literature, terming such characters as heads and instincts inborn and inheritable, and such characters as scars and a knowledge of Latin acquired.