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STUDIES IN NATIONAL EUGENICS. 67


portion of the offspring so selected would be better still. The influences that now withstand the free action of selective agencies are numerous, they include indiscriminate charity.

Passion of love.-The argument has been repeated that love is too strong a passion to be restrained by such means as would be tolerated at the present time. I regret that I did not express the distinction that ought to have been made between its two stages, that of slight inclination and that of falling thoroughly into love, for it is the first of these rather than the second that I hope the popular feeling of the future will successfully resist. Every match-making mother appreciates the difference. If a girl is taught to look upon a class of men as tabooed, whether owing to rank, creed, connections, or other causes, she does not regard them as possible husbands and turns her thoughts elsewhere. The proverbial '1 Mrs. Grundy " has enormous influence in checking the marriages she considers indiscreet.

Eugenics as a factor in religion.-Remarks have been made concerning eugenics as a religion ; this will be the subject of the brief memoir that follows these remarks.

It is much to be desired that competent persons would severally take up one or other of the many topics mentioned in my second memoir, or others of a similar kind, and work it thoroughly out as they would any ordinary scientific problem ; in this way solid progress would be made. I must be allowed to reemphasise my opinion that an immense amount of investigation has to be accomplished before a definite system of Eugenics can be safely framed.