APPENDIX D. 227
three and sometimas four generations, and consisted of those who lay in the main line of descent, together with their brothers and sisters.
Among the replies, I find that much information has been incidentally included concerning what is familiarly called the "temper" of no less than 1,981 persons. As this is an adequate number to allow for many inductions, and as temper is a strongly marked characteristic in all animals; and again, as it is of so.-ial interest from the large part it plays in influencing domestic happiness for good or ill, it seemed a proper subject for investigation.
The best explanation of what I myself mean by the word "temper" will be inferred from a list of the various epithets used by the compilers of the Records, which I have interpreted as expressing one or other of its qualities or degrees. The epithets are as follows, arranged alphabetically in the two main divisions of good and bad temper:
Good temper.-Amiable, buoyant, calm, cool, equable, forbearing, gentle, good, mild, placid, self-controlled, submissive, sunny, timid, yielding. (15 epithets in all.)
Bad temper. -Acrimonious, aggressive, arbitrary, bickering, capricious, captious, choleric, contentious, crotchety, decisive, despotic, domineering, easily offended, fiery, fits of anger, gloomy, grumpy, harsh, hasty, headstrong, huffy, impatient, imperative, impetuous, insane temper, irritable, morose, nagging, obstinate, odd'tempered, passionate, peevish, peppery, proud, pugnacious, quarrelsome, quick-tempered, scolding, short, sharp, sulky, sullen, surly, uncertain, vicious, vindictive. (46 epithets in all.)
I also grouped the epithets as well as I could, into the following five classes: 1, mild; 2, docile; 3, fretful; 4, violent; 5, masterful.
Though the number of epithets denoting the various kinds of bad temper is three times as large as that used for the good, yet the number of persons described under the one general head is about the same as that described under the other. The first set of data that I tried, gave the proportion of the good to the bad-tempered as 48 to 52; the second set as 47 to 53. There is little difference between the two sexes in the frequency of good and bad temper, but that little is in favour of the women, since about 45 men are re
2 Q
